Dangerous Eternity
by sammerzjean77
Summary: *Sequel to Nightmare Of My Dreams* -- ..:SasuSaku:.. Because forever only lasts so long.
1. Dangerous Eternity

**Dangerous Eternity is now out.  
I'd love if you'd check out my page and vote on my poll! Remember, this will be angsty. This is kinda like a prologue.  
Please, review. And enjoy...ALSO!**

ALSO! YOU MUST READ NIGHTMARE OF MY DREAMS TO UNDERSTAND THIS STORY! READ IT BEFORE THIS!

****_

* * *

_

_Chapter One:  
__Dangerous Eternity_

_  
"Here she stands today in her brilliant, shining way."_

_

* * *

_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-In Each Eye There Lies A Sign- _

_-To Let The Tears Of Fate Align- _

-The Weakened Heart Of Deep Deceit- 

_-Will Slowly Sink Onto Its Feet-_

_-The Painful Promise Slowly Slips-_

_-With Tainted Words On Trembling Lips-_

_-The Memories That Are Found In Sleep-_

_-Are Only Nightmares We Must Keep-_

_-For Quiet Breathes That Hush The Wind-_

_-And Silent Pain For Those Who've Sinned-_

_-As Torment Lies Inside The Heart-_

_-For Those Who's Ties Have Broke Apart-_

_-To Desperate Hearts That Know The Dark-_

_-With Curses That Have Left Their Mark-_

_-As Whispers Die Without A Care-_

_-And Cherry Blossoms Fill The Air-_

_-With Silent Rain That Falls Around-_

_-Enhance The Sense Of Sight And Sound-_

_-Forgotten Not, That Vacant Day-_

_-Our Promise We Let Fade Away-_

_-To Prove Forever Does Exist-_

_-With Suffering And One Last Kiss-_

_-To Push Away That One Request-_

_-The Bitter Struggle We Know Best-_

_-The Space That Time, So Cruel, Creates-_

_-Allows The Meet Of Crumbling Fates-_

_-For In Your Eyes, You Hold The Key-_

_-Forget The Cry Of 'Stay With Me'-_

_-As Sanity Is Washed Away-_

_-The Nightmare Of Our Dreams Will Stay-_

_-For Only Through Your Eyes I See-_

_-In You, There Is Eternity-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

Destiny is not a matter of chance, but choice...not something to wish, but to attain.

-

-

-

The dark, statuesque sky was the unparalleled illusion she could find. The stars flickered in the destitute heavens, making her heart freeze with numbness. She could understand very few things. Her heart was near emotionless. Her mind...troubled.

She folded her hands, lacing her fingers en masse. Taking a deep breath, her eyes drifted over the diamond sky, searching...seeking...for some reverie. Something to hold on to. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Through the open window, you could feel the brisk, despairing breeze. Goosebumps crawled onto her illusory skin. But she felt nothing. She had only one thing on her mind. Her only desideratum. Her only weakness. The one thing that had once been her strength.

-

-

-

_"You haven't changed much, Sakura. Still that same girl who believes everything will turn out alright in the end. You think this is your dream, don't you?"_

_-_

_-_

_-_

Time can create spaces that can never be over come. Tears can create rivers that can flow on for generations. Promise's can create false hopes...that can last for eternity.

Yes, eternity.

-

-

-

_"But things are different now. And you know what...?"_

_-_

_-_

_-_

She prayed that somewhere...he was thinking of her. Reminiscing about her. Wanting to see her. Touch her. Hear her.

Believe her.

Find her.

Love her.

-

-

-

_"There's no such thing as a happy end. And you know this is your nightmare."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

But...

Time only fades away. Dreams only die. Promises only slip out of grasp. Tears only fall. Hearts only break. Smiles only fail. Truth's only shatter. Memories only hurt. Love only hates. Reasoning gets you nowhere. Beginnings only end. Attempts only prove pointless. Secrets never stay secret. Plea's only prove painful. Songs only end. Rain only falls. Words only come and go. Live's only move on. Everybody always leaves. Nobody ever stays.

Time stops for no one. Dreams live for many...come true for some...and hurt for all.

Promises are only words one says to keep a fading hope from completely burning out.

Tears are just like rain. Cold...showing nothing more than pain and sorrow.

Rain is simply the heavens crying.

-

-

-

_"Everything's changed, Sakura."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

She had learned all these things.

It had been one year, since her dream had slipped away. Her heart had learned.

But every night she prayed. She prayed that he too, would be feeling this.

The unbearable truth of knowing that fate had already decided.

The chance had come and gone. The reasons were nowhere to be found. All that was left, was what might have been.

-

-

-

_"Those bonds...I never broke them..."_

-

-

-

History repeats itself. Only those who know of it, may change it. But for them, it was far too late.

The only thing she knew now...was that the sky was truly beautiful.

-

-

-

_"Because...it's like you save me..."_

-

-

-

She opened her eyes, and watched the dark, empty sky. The beautiful stars illuminating the ominous atmosphere. It was almost enough to make you forget about your problems.

Almost.

But she could never forget him.

Never.

She could try, but it would always prove futile.

She loved him.

She may deny it.

But it was always true.

-

-

-

_"I told you the day I left that new paths would form for each of us..."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

It was possible to lose your heart. Live for somebody else. Mean nothing to yourself...but wish you could mean everything to somebody else.

Yes, it was possible.

Unlike that promise...the sky lived forever. It breathed forever. It shined forever.

It made her believe.

Everyday. It kept her going. Kept her faith and hope alive. Kept her nightmares far away...and her dreams close.

-

-

-

_"I never dreamed that one day they would meet again."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

She also prayed for him. Was he happy? Did he accomplish what he needed? Did he think about her? Did he miss her?

Did he still love her?

Did he know that she thought of him every night?

-

-

-

_"Sakura...if I kiss you, will you hold it against me?"_

_-_

_-_

_-_

Well, perhaps right now...they were looking up into the same endless sky. At the same infinite star. With the same sleepless eyes...and the same unforgotten promise circling through their minds.

-

-

-

_**What is has already been, and what will be had been before.**_

_-_

_-_

_-_

She slowly got up, off her knee's, closing the frosty window. Her eyes never moved from the shadowy sky. It was like she was memorizing the stars. The one thing she could rely on forever.

_-_

_-_

_-_

_"Its gonna be love."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

It wasn't over. No. It was just the beginning.

-

-

-

_**At this moment there are 6,470,818,671 people in the world. Some are running scared. Some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it through the day. Others are just not facing the truth. Some are evil men, at war with good. And some are good, struggling with evil. Six billion people in the world, six billion souls. And sometimes... all you need is one.**_

-

-

-

She slowly pulled the covers down from her bed, and crawled in. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. His face always popped into her mind. It's like he was right there. Even as she tried to forget him, he still could find a way to be the highlight of her day.

-

-

-

_**Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worst kind of suffering.**_

-

-

-

And sure enough...little did she know...he was, too, watching the stars. The endless infinity that everyone so seeked. He was no different. He dreamed of it too. The place where it all came together...

And it never fell apart.

But that infinity never came closer.

Though he could see it with his eyes...

He could never quite find it.

That eternity.

Yes, it was that eternity that he so desired.

-

-

-

The only thing they had in common now...was that promise. They both knew it was fading. They both knew it was more a dream than reality. They both knew the feeling that was choking their hearts.

-

-

-

_"Say it."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

And they both could do nothing about it. Both couldn't comprehend it. And both hated it. Hated being so helpless.

-

-

-

_"Say...'I Love You'."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

So the eternity only slipped farther away. The dreams only became nightmares. The chances only slipped away. That desired eternity...was no longer there. No longer truthful...bright...

-

-

-

It was cold.

Broken.

_Dangerous._

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**"I know you won't forget me. Because if I thought you would, I'd never leave."**_

-

-

-

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_  
So We Meet Again_


	2. So We Meet Again

_Chapter Two:  
__So We Meet Again_

_"I can feel you all around me, thickening the air I'm breathing."_

* * *

She jumped from branch to branch through the tree's at full speed. Her pink hair whisked around her face. It was slightly longer now, reaching about her shoulders. It was still just as beautiful, same as her complexion. Not much about her physically had changed. She wasn't much taller, and she was still just as slender. But she was faster, stronger...and more stubborn. And she was now a full fledge ANBU shinobi, on one of her many missions. She was wearing her normal ANBU attire with a white panther mask on. The rim of the mask was outlined in a dark pink and there was a stripe of the same color across the nose of the mask. She was on a special mission to travel to Kirirunu, a small tourist town near the edge of the fire country, and gather information on the Akatsuki. Rumor was that one of them had been spotted in that area. Konoha needed to be first on the scene. And who better than Sakura Haruno?

She was fully prepared for the mission. She knew she had duties to fulfill. Right now, Konoha was in a bit of a bind. Tsunade was up to her head in work, and most of her fellow ANBU teammates were on missions of their own. Akatsuki was a dangerous problem that needed to be taken care of right away.

She ran over the many questions she wanted to ask, trying to stay focused, but all of a sudden she felt the presence of chalkra in front of her. It was maybe a mile off, she wasn't sure. But as she approached, she felt maybe three...no, four people up ahead. And one of those felt strangely familiar. But she wasn't quite sure...just couldn't put her finger on it.

She picked up the pace, jumping from branch to branch. She removed the mask from her face and took a deep breath. The crisp air filled her lungs, making her feel more alive and ready to fight if there should be a confrontation. She slowly rested the mask underneath an elastic strap over her waist. She wanted a clear view of whatever was ahead of her. Or whoever, really.

She felt the presence getting closer, but she could see nothing. It was the break of dawn, and the sun was right in her eyes, making her squint. She ran her eyes over the area in front of her and jumped up higher in the tree's to get an Arial view. She scanned the area once more and took a few more leaps until she came across some figures in dark black cloaks standing on the ground. Their backs were turned to her, and their hoods were up. They looked like they were just about to head off, but Sakura figured she could take advantage of this opportunity. Maybe see if they knew anything about the Akatsuki. And anyway, there was something familiar about somebody's chalkra down there. Not to mention...with their hoods up like that, they looked quite suspicious.

"Hey."

Her voice echoed through the tree's and halted her strangers' movements. She jumped down off a tree and stood in front of it, directly behind the four cloaked people. She was only maybe an inch in front of the tree, trying to keep her distance. Her eyes slowly widened as two of the strangers turned around. The hoods covered most of their faces, but she could still make out who they were. And yes, they _were_ familiar.

"We're busy. Get lost." A boy with razor sharp teeth replied. His eyes widened as they connected with Sakura's.

She knew this guy. Even though she hated to admit it...she knew him. And apparently, by his expression...he recognized her too. And as Sakura's eyes moved to the other cloaked figure, she matched up the features immediately.

It was the girl and boy she had met back in Konoha the night before Sasuke had left.

Karin and Suigetsu.

"It's you. I know you!" Suigetsu said a little more lively. Karin just scoffed. They were standing on the opposite side of another figure that was still faced off in the opposite direction. Another person standing on the other side of Suigetsu turned around. He was extremely tall, and had short, somewhat spiky orange hair. Thinking back on all the conversations she had had with Sasuke many months ago...she matched up this other boy as well.

_Juugo, I presume?_

And that left one unfamiliar figure left to identify. But she was no fool. And she knew who it was. Her eyes slowly focused on the black cloak draped over his back. He was still the same height, which was really tall...and his shoulders still looked broad. But besides that, she could see nothing. Her eyes widened a little more, and she felt her mouth going dry.

_After almost a year...this is how we meet up again? I would have never dreamed it be like this._

And she wasn't even sure if she wanted to see him anymore.

"Karin, you remember this girl, right?" Suigetsu asked, a small chuckle escaping his lips. Karin just rolled her eyes and then moved her gaze to the cloaked figure on her left.

"Hey...it's that girl. The one you told me _sooo_ much about." Suigestu spoke lively to the figure on his right. The one with his back turned. The one that showed no sign that he had even heard his teammates words.

"He never said _that_ much about her. Stop being stupid, Suigetsu!" Karin snapped, irritated by the young boy's remark.

Sakura ignored their words, trying to focus on her own. She had no idea what to say.

All of a sudden, the figure slowly started turning around. Her eyes widened and she started feeling anxious. All of a sudden everything felt so slow motion.

"Sasu-"

But before she could even say anything else, she caught a faint glimpse of red eyes underneath the hood. That was it. And before she could even register that, she all of a sudden seen him disappear and felt herself being thrusted against the tree behind her. The bark scratched at her back and she closed her eyes tightly against the pain. She felt a quick splitting pain through her stomach and then all of a sudden felt numb. Her body felt cold against the warm sensation on her lower back and stomach. It was a sticky warm substance.

Clearly, her blood.

Her head was tilted down, and as the numbness started fading, she could feel small waves of pain course through her body. She slowly opened her eyes, trying to focus her sight. When she did, she seen a pale hand on what looked to be a handle to a sword. And sure enough, she felt the cold metal inside her body, sticking into the trunk. She was pinned, no doubt about that. She slowly followed the shiny silver up until it connected with her body. A little trail of blood started flowing down the sword. Her breathing became staggered, realizing what was actually happening. And she just couldn't believe it. Her heart started racing and she followed the sword once again...to the hands on the handle...to the arms...and finally...she seen the figure leaning into her a bit...actually, leaning on the sword. His head was down, hood covering his face. But with a small sudden gust of wind, the hood gracefully lifted off his head, revealing his dark, long, shaggy hair. It was unkempt, and she could see his bangs hanging down, but still unable to see his face.

This wasn't Sasuke. Not the Sasuke she knew. It couldn't be. She clenched her jaw tightly and felt panic rising.

Realizing that this was really a dangerous situation, she slowly started healing her body. She was losing blood rapidly, and was most likely on the verge of unconsciousness. Besides, she was already feeling dizzy...and along with the strong vibes of pain, her body was starting to feel weak...almost numb. Disconnected.

This couldn't be happening.

Her eyes watched as the figure slowly started lifting his head. She completely stopped breathing as his face became visible.

His red eyes were menacing, making the panic rise even more. The sharingan. He was definitely scary...and not somebody you wanted to mess with.

_Breathe, Sakura. Breathe! You need to focus! Stay focused!_

She closed her eyes, taking small breathes through her nose. She continued to heal her body, but it was slow. And the damage was great.

In this condition...she was easily at his disposal.

She opened her eyes slowly, staring right into his chilling ones. She noticed a small twitch in his eyes and he clenched his jaw. With that, she heard him take a deep breath...and without warning, pulled the sword violently from her abdomen, making her grunt quietly in pain. He took a step back quickly, his eyes now focusing on her bleeding stomach. She couldn't catch her balance, and with the force from the pull, felt herself slowly falling forward.

_Great...I'm going to land flat on my face in front of him._

But then...without warning _again_...she felt herself hit the tree, this time her head suffered the whiplash. In an instant, Karin had appeared in front of her, kicking her into the tree. Her leg was now mounted up against her chest, holding her to the tree. The hit caused Sakura to lose her focus, and the wound was now bleeding hard once again.

Sakura's head was rested back against the tree until it fell down limply. She opened her eyes, finding it hard to breathe. Just great...this was no way to die.

"Sasuke...what are we going to do about her?" Karin asked shrilly. Sakura raised her head a bit to look at Karin. One hand was rested on her hip, while the other was lying limply at her side...and a sick grin was plastered on her face. Wow...she obviously wanted Sakura _dead_.

"Well move your foot, you bitch." Suigetsu shouted, annoyed.

They apparently didn't get along.

Sakura also noticed that, behind Karin, Sasuke had closed his eyes and had one hand rested on the side of his head...his fingers intertwined with strands of his hair. His expression was almost emotionless, but she could see a hint of...annoyance? No...maybe pain...in his expression. She couldn't tell. And right now...her vision sucked already. She couldn't focus at all. But she still tried to heal the wound, this time...not caring to conceal the chalkra she was pouring into her stomach.

"That's pointless." She heard a rough, low..._familiar _voice say.

It was Sasuke. He hadn't opened his eyes...and his lips had barely moved. But he had noticed that Sakura was attempting to save herself.

He slowly turned around...leaving Sakura to stare helplessly at his back. She wanted so much to call out to him. Ask him what the _hell _was going on. But she couldn't. She didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he was just about to let her die.

"Well?" She heard the Juugo stranger say.

After a moment of silence, she heard Sasuke sigh.

"Take care of her." He said in his monotone voice.

Before Sakura could even think, she felt Karin remove her foot from her chest, and seen her hand shoot up to the collar of her uniform. She violently pulled Sakura forward, and she felt Karin's hand connect with the side of her neck. More pain shot through her body, and her eyesight was fading to black...and quickly.

She fell unconscious before she could even tell if she hit the ground.

* * *

_Sasuke...Why?...No...you're not Sasuke. I don't believe it. You're not the same person...No..._

Warm. She could feel something warm above her head. And soft...something soft was draped over her body.

What the...was she dead?

No...

She felt her chest moving up and down slowly, and all of a sudden drifted into reality. She opened her eyes halfway, seeing a flickering shadow on the surface above her.

Rocks.

She was in a cave of some sort.

She slowly blinked a few times, and as she tried to move her body even the slightest, she felt this weird feeling on her body. Not pain...no. It didn't really hurt. But her wound...it was closed. But how?

"Don't be surprised. Karin picked up some medical ninjutsu. It's not the best...but it saved you."

She slowly looked to her right, to see Suigetsu leaning back against the wall. He was sitting with his legs spread open, arms resting on his knee's. He looked at Sakura with a small smile on his face. She only blinked, comprehending that right now...she was in a cave with him.

But then she heard a small 'hmph' from the other side of her.

Karin.

Sakura took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes at the young boy.

"Why aren't I dead? What am I doing here?"

"We saved you."

Her eyes widened a little and Suigetsu chuckled a bit. She heard a soft crackle from the fire above her head. Apparently, that was the warmth around her. And then as she wiggled around once more...she realized she wasn't in her tight ANBU uniform. She felt her face flush a little bit. She could feel she was in a tank top and some loose baggy pants. But how did she _get_ in these clothes?

Obviously noticing her confusing...Suigetsu answered her question.

"Karin."

Sakura sighed in relief and tilted her head a bit to see a pouty Karin sitting in the exact same position as Suigetsu. Except she wasn't looking at Sakura...just scowling off into the distance, her face facing the opposite direction. Sakura heard a faint...'he made me'...slip out her of mouth.

"So why did you save me?" Sakura asked boldly, now looking up at the ceiling of the cave.

"Orders." Suigetsu replied simply, noticing Sakura's brow furrow.

"From who?" She asked again.

Suigetsu chuckled a bit. "You know from who."

Yes, she did. _Sasuke_. But she'd never say it. Not anymore.

"He wants to talk to you." He replied again, causing Sakura to look his way. They simply stared at each other for a while. "Don't ask me why." He said simply, before she could do just that.

"Obviously something important, or he'd have never spared your life." Karin snapped, entering the conversation. Sakura thought that over for a second and slowly started sitting up. She could feel a bit of pain now with a broader range of movement.

"Now be careful." Suigetsu said, removing his arms from his knees, ready to help her if she should need it. But she apparently didn't want that.

Sakura shot him a dirty look. "Why does it matter?" She asked harshly.

Suigetsu looked a little taken back, a frown forming from his lips. "You're no good to him dead." He said, sounding a little unsure about his own answer.

Sakura rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "I'm no good to him either way. And I'm far from dead."

"Not really."

Sakura looked over at Karin...glaring at her, actually. Her remark upset her, clearly. "What do you mean?" She asked, just as sharply as Karin.

Karin turned to face her...a scowl imprinted on her face. "He was going to kill you. He could have. So don't talk so big. You're nothing compared to him."

Sakura felt her chest burn a bit at that remark. She knew that...but she didn't need somebody else reminding her.

"You're nothing _to_ him." Karin said, looking away quickly as Sakura's face twisted into a nasty glare.

Suigetsu chuckled. "Ignore her. She only says that because she's jealous."

Karin gave a little 'hmph' once again. And Sakura stood up completely, wobbling a bit. She shook her head.

"No, it's true." She said, brushing off her clothing. She ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "Now, where are my clothes?"

"You won't need them." Another male voice said, entering the conversation as well.

She looked over to the cave entrance to see that tall Juugo guy standing there. His face was almost as expressionless as Sasuke's. But still...it wasn't as evil looking.

Sakura eyed him curiously.

"Juugo...big fella...where's the boss man?" Suigetsu asked, standing up. He walked over to Sakura and placed his hand on her shoulder. Sakura, annoyed, tried to shrug him off...but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He just shot her a big, mischievous grin.

"Outside. Waiting for the girl." Juugo said, nodding his head out the entrance. He slowly turned around and started walking out of the cave. Sakura heard Karin stand up behind her and sigh heavily. She walked right past Sakura and out the entrance the same way Juugo left. Now it was just her and Suigetsu...alone in the cave. It sounded creepy.

"Look..." He was the first to break the silence. He leaned his head closer to hers and started whispering, his hand never leaving her shoulder. "Just watch what you say. He's irritable...and pretty quick to snap. Just do as he says. He won't kill you...I don't think."

_You don't think...oh that's great. Way to be sure!_ Sakura scoffed at his remark.

"You expect me to just obey him like a dog?" She asked harshly, glaring at Suigetsu from the corner of her eye.

"If you want to live...yeah. Once you're out there alone with him...there's nothing I can do."

Her eyes widened...expression softening...

"Wait, you're the one who saved me?"

He nodded, his grin widening. "Yeah...that's me. _You're _pretty okay...so I told him to let you live. Now how great am_ I_?"

Sakura blinked a couple times and shrugged his hand off her shoulder, succeeding this time. "You're pretty okay too...but not great." She brushed off her clothes one more time and started walking to the exit. "Thanks but...I'm not about to bow down to any one. That's just not me." She said, raising a hand to wave.

Suigetsu sighed. "Well...I wish you luck then, Sakura."

She smiled, reaching the exit. "Thanks again."

* * *

She took a few steps, examining the area, until she seen Sasuke leaning against a tree. He was still in that long black cloak, and his head was tilted down, eyes closed. She only stared at him for a second, wondering what to say. But slowly he opened his eyes and looked at her. Much to Sakura's relief, his eyes were black...not red, swirling with the sharingan. 

"Follow me." He said, pushing off the tree and walking in the opposite direction.

As much as she didn't want to obey him like some animal...she just figured it best to follow. She had a lot of questions to ask him, and she was sure he had some himself.

They continued to walk in silence for about 10 minutes, until they came to a small clearing. Sasuke was about 15 feet in front of her when he stopped abruptly. Immediately, Sakura halted her own movements right in front of a tree, trying to keep her distance from the man ahead of her. He just stood with his back to her, making her very uncomfortable.

"What do you want?" She finally asked, in a stern voice. She didn't know where the burst of courage had come from, but she was going to make the best of it.

"What do _you_ want?" He asked back.

She only blinked, thinking about their encounter when he tried to kill her. "I didn't come to find you." She said, knowing that was obviously what he was wondering.

Silence.

"I know that." He replied smartly.

Sakura felt her face twist into a small glare. The wind rustled through his long locks, and the tree's slowly swayed in the breeze. The setting just felt a Little...unsafe.

More silence.

"I know you weren't just in the area. You were in an ANBU uniform...and you looked like you were in a hurry." He said again, his voice low and hoarse. Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"You're wondering what my mission was..." She simplified his sentence.

Even _more_ silence.

"Well I can't give out that information." She spat angrily. Wow, this guy had some nerve. He see's her after almost a _year_...and all he cares about is her _mission_?! What happened to him over the time he had been gone?

He slowly turned around and glared at her, eyes piercing hers. It made her even more uncomfortable and she felt her hands start shaking. His face was serious...and scary. She hadn't seen him look like this in a really long time. Well actually...she hadn't flat out _seen _him in a long time.

"Tell me." He demanded calmly. Sakura swallowed hard.

"No."

His eyes narrowed a bit more. "You're in no position to deny me."

"I am _not _you're pet!" She shouted fiercely. Her eyes widened as she noticed Sasuke's sharingan flare up. Her heart started racing and she realized...she should have just done what he said.

_Stupid, Sakura! Stupid...stupid._

"I won't spare your life."

She bit her lip. Yeah she already figured that one.

"Then kill me." She said quietly, her face forming a frown. She couldn't stop him even if she wanted to...and it was looking by this situation...that she would die in the end anyway. Thus, the life of a shinobi.

Silence. They just stood, staring at each other for a moment. Sakura, though, was smart enough not to make contact with his eyes...so she just stared at his chest, watching it move up and down slowly. Here Sasuke was...breathing right in front of her. All she wanted right now...all she wanted to know was...

"I'm not coming back."

She gasped quietly, now making eye contact. His glare was deep...angry. She felt tears prick at her eyes but held them back. She was no longer a baby...and she no longer cried over Sasuke.

"I figured." The words rolled right off her tongue. And it was true. She expected no less. "After all...if you were going to...you would have done it long ago. Or maybe you haven't done what you needed to do?" She said bravely, feeling the wind blow through her hair. Goosebumps formed on her frail skin.

Silence.

"I have."

Her mouth went dry. Did he really...kill Itachi? She slowly raised one hand and put it on her hip. "Really. So what drives you now? Why aren't you coming home?"

"It's not home." He snarled, making Sakura flinch.

"You say that now. But those weren't your words back then."

"I didn't mean them."

"Then why did you say them?"

And Sakura's eyes quickly shot to Sasuke feet, which were slowly moving toward her.

"You know me...always lying." He said...a sadistic smirk forming on his lips. It made Sakura's chest start burning. Any real emotion she seen out of his face...was always the kind that hurt her. Her eyes drifted up to his face as he kept stepping closer. Unconsciously, she took a step back, hitting the tree. Quickly, she scanned the area.

_Shit...now where do I go?_

She needed to get out of there. He had flat out told her that he'd kill her...so why the hell wasn't she moving!?

But as her eyes flew to his face once more, she seen a twitch out of his eye...and he stopped moving again. Her breathing calmed down as she watched him raise a hand to his head and lace his fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes and his lips drew into a tight line.

She was no idiot.

He was in pain obviously.

But by what?

"I noticed...you haven't said my name. What, you scared..._Sa-ku-ra?"_ He said, his eyes still closed...but that malicious grin became imprinted on his face once more.

Without even realizing it, she was pushing her back into the tree, and she was breathing heavily. Loud. She was scared. Why deny it?

"I'll never say...your name..." She said boldly through deep breaths. And she noticed him clench his jaw and open his eyes. Small beads of sweat were forming on his forehead...and Sakura's eyes observed his every movement.

He was in a lot of pain.

All of a sudden, without warning...she seen a black figure appear behind him...and the arm of the stranger connected sharply with the side of Sasuke's neck. His eyes widened, and slowly closed as he exhaled a deep breathe. He slowly, and very ungracefully, fell onto his knee's and then fell completely to the ground, his hair sprawled in every which direction.

The figure was in a black cloak with the hood down.

Suigetsu.

Sakura quickly seized her trembling and caught her breathe. She tried to hide the shock that was overwhelming her face.

"What are...what are you doing?" She stuttered pathetically.

Suigetsu brought his hand to his side and grinned at her.

"Thought I'd help you out."

_And what are you implying?_

"I didn't need help, thanks." She growled angrily. Then she heard somebody's footsteps to her left and quickly glanced over. Karin was standing a few feet off, arms crossed, staring blankly at Sasuke lying on the cold ground.

"He was going to kill you." She heard another rough voice say. She glanced up into the tree's on her right and seen that Juugo character standing up there, arms crossed as well.

"I can handle myself." She murmured, looking back at Suigetsu. "You know that...and if you don't...then you need to. So tell me why you knocked him out. Give me the real reason." She said, her eyes narrowing.

Suigetsu shrugged and started chuckling. "Nothing gets past you, huh?"

But Sakura's face remained serious.

"We need a favor." She heard Karin say. Her tone was bored...reluctant. Sakura's eyes never left Suigetsu's, though, curious of this 'favor'.

"That would be?" Sakura asked, taking a step forward from the tree. She was no coward...so she sure as hell didn't want to _look_ like one.

Suigestu sighed. "I knocked him out...to make it easier for you."

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "Easier...for...me?"

He nodded. "Take him back with you."

Her mouth fell open. What the?! "What do you mean...what's in it for you?" She snapped, angry that he thought she'd be so stupid as to just oblige his request.

"We know all about the conflict between your village and Akatsuki. That was your mission, wasn't it? Something to do with the Akatsuki running around this area." Karin said. After a minute of silence, Sakura nodded.

"So?" She asked.

"So...we just so happen to be looking for them as well." Suigetsu replied, bending down to pick up Sasuke. He hauled him over his shoulder and let out a small grunt.

"What does this have to do with me...or my village?" She said, taking another step toward him. Something about seeing Sasuke knocked unconscious made her feel a whole lot safer. "He made it clear he wants nothing to do with either."

Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "We also need your Hokage."

Sakura's mouth twisted into a frown.

"As you can tell...Sasuke's not exactly...healthy." Suigetsu said, glancing at the limp boy hanging over his body. Sakura bit her lip, trying to keep any expression from crowding her face. She didn't want to look like she cared...even though she did. "He has these...episodes where he gets weird pains in his head...like severe headaches, and we don't know why. It started happening after the fight with Itachi."

Now she didn't care how she looked. Her eyes shot open real wide. "So he did kill him?" She asked, her voice rising.

Suigetsu nodded. "Yeah...and the fight took a lot out of his eyes. Whenever he uses the sharingan now...it takes a toll on him. But even without those damn red eyes...he still has these weird spasms."

Sakura exhaled a deep breathe. Yes, she was worried.

"If it goes untreated...he usually ends up passing out." Karin chimed in, earning a curious stare from Sakura. "That's why I learned some medic ninjutsu. It helped a little...but he always gets so violent...and often refuses any help." She said again, a small frown gracing her features.

Sakura nodded and looked back at Suigetsu. "So you think Lady Tsunade can help him?" She asked, knowing that if anybody could...it was the Hokage.

Suigetsu nodded and started walking toward her. "I'm allowing you to take him, no strings attached. I doubt you'll be able to keep him for long...but I'm giving you a free shot."

Karin scoffed silently.

"But you must help him. Please." Juugo added from above.

Sakura just focused on Sasuke. He looked like such a child when he was sleeping. So harmless. She liked this Sasuke.

"If he won't stay, there's no point. You're using me." She said as Suigetsu adjusted Sasuke's weight on his shoulder.

"Yes...but this may be your only chance to get him back." Suigetsu said, a sympathetic look overcoming his grin. "For the first few days after he left the village...he was kind of...down. Quiet. It was obvious he missed that village and all the people in it. Maybe going back will help him with this odd illness." Suigetsu said, starting to walk past Sakura. Her eyes only followed.

"I doubt it." She said sadly, turning around. She watched Suigetsu walk off, Karin following and Juugo jumping down from the tree.

"We'll escort him to you're village gates. He's kind of heavy. But after that...he's all yours. We'll check in maybe...three days later to see how things are going." Suigetsu said as Juugo and Karin fell into step with him. Sakura started walking behind them slowly, a disgusted look on her face. This wasn't how she had planned this going.

"Whatever." She said silently.

"Oh and when he wakes up..." She heard Suigetsu snicker with his words. "Just tell him that it's our birthday present for him."

Her eyes widened.

Well, things just couldn't get any stranger.

And they just couldn't get any worse.

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_How It's Gonna Be_


	3. How It's Gonna Be

**I just want to let everyone know your comments are appreciated.  
And I am taking in all of your suggestions.  
Please be patient and let it unfold.  
I promise...(well hope)...you won't find it disappointing.  
:)**_

* * *

_

_Chapter Three:  
How It's Gonna Be_

_"You want a piece of me?"__  
_

* * *

He slowly opened his eyes, feeling the thin blanket draped over him...the soft pillow underneath his head. The white...white...room. The smell of medicine and soft chatter of nurses in the hallway.

Go figure. That's what happens when somebody gets knocked out. They end up in a hospital somewhere for some damn reason. Not that he could remember much...but as time went by...he could. It slowly all came back.

For the next hour...he laid in the bed with his eyes closed, listening to the nurses walk in and out...and the ones in the hallway. Most of them gossiped about people in the village. Some talked about him returning... some talked about the recent new with Akatsuki...but most of it...most of all that _annoying _talk...

...was about _Sakura_.

Oh, Sakura's doing so _well_! She's grown up to be quite the young lady! She's going to be 17 real soon! She's doing great working here! She's so beautiful! She's got such a_ bright_ future!

Sakura...Sakura...Sakura...

Well- _fuck _you Sakura!

That was the _last_ person he wanted to think about right now. It was her fault! She was the whole reason he was here!!! But whatever...too bad she was the person he just _had_ to end up seeing next.

About an hour after he woke up...he heard some footsteps nearing his door. Soon, it slowly opened and he heard somebody walk in. His eyes were closed, but he slowly opened them and watched as none other than Sakura walked over by the window and sat in the chair, resting her elbow on the ledge. She laid her chin in her palm and stared out into the blue sky. It was a pretty peaceful day...but her expression wasn't so peaceful. Apparently, she wasn't on duty. She was wearing a long sleeve red shirt and a short white skirt. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun, and she looked kind of ragged. He guessed she hadn't gotten much sleep.

They just sat there for a while, her staring into the sky. He slowly sat up a bit and leaned his back against the wall. He looked off in the opposite direction of her, leaning his head against the wall as well. He was sick of just staring at her. And he decided to break the silence.

"I hear you're doing really well." He said calmly, in a very non-threatening tone. He was simply in her territory now. He couldn't really fight back. And he was curious as to how he got here. And what was all going on.

But none the less...his voice came out mockingly.

"Don't ask me. Let me tell you." Her voice was firm.

Silence.

"I'll wipe you from my life." She finished.

But he found no threat in that. "Don't think I'll be crushed." He replied, still looking off in the opposite direction. The corner of his lips raised slightly.

Silence.

Whatever...why not make this interesting?

"I can't believe it's really you. Been so long..." He said, his voice growing softer.

But her face remained emotionless.

More silence.

"I'm not falling for your game."

Her voice was growing slightly irritated. But he could only find it amusing. A small smirk crawled onto his lips. He was ready to play.

"Girls like you never change."

Now her eyes started narrowing. It was hard to keep calm with somebody like him testing your patience and riding on your every nerve.

"Why are you here?" He asked, now looking at her. "I don't want you here." His eyes narrowed as well, smirk fading very slowly.

She looked at him too, a glare enchanting her face. "I don't care what you want. I don't care about _you._"

That was _such_ a lie. And the funny thing...was that they both knew it.

"Then why are you here?"

Silence.

A victorious grin took over his face. "You do care. Don't lie to me."

She instantly clenched her teeth together tightly, very upset with his words. Who was he to think he had all the answers? Damn, he was way too arrogant. "Keep telling yourself that, but I don't care!" She shouted angrily.

He only continued to look at her with amusement. "Fine. Then why am _I _here?"

Excuse me...but, wasn't she going to be the one asking the questions? After all...she had come in here to get some answers. But she just didn't know what to ask him anymore. What did she really want to know?

Oh yeah- everything.

Silence.

She looked away. Now his grin faded, and his face turned into a sour expression. He hated when she ignored him. But you know what he hated more? Her not bothering to address him at all. She wouldn't even say his name! Very irritating.

"Answer me." He demanded.

She shook her head softly. "And if I don't want to? What...will you hurt me?" She asked smartly.

He was really starting to hate her now. Wow...what a-

"I want to hurt you just to hear you _screaming_ my name." He said sharply, causing her to look back at him, a slightly shocked expression on her face. She didn't actually think it bothered him that much. But apparently she was wrong.

"You're not the Sasuke I knew." She said angrily, standing up. Her throat was tightening and it was getting hard to breath. But whatever...she had to let him know his place. She'd have to face him eventually. It was now or never.

He shook his head. "You never knew me."

All of a sudden it felt like her heart was dropping into her stomach. "What are you saying?!" She said, taking a step toward him. He looked back at her, realizing he had her riled up. Right where he wanted her. And right now...he just wanted out of this dump of a village. So he needed to get out somehow...And as he looked at her...he seen something very familiar hanging around her neck. Something he could use to his advantage. Something to break her.

It was that necklace. The one he had gave her the day he left. _She claims she doesn't care...yet she still wears that? What a horrible liar. She probably doesn't even know I've noticed it._

He needed to break her- and fast- if I wanted to get out of here.

So, step number one...

"Oh, Sakura...seeing me again must really bother you. You look flustered"

Her eyes widened. She didn't understand where this was going. He was so...different now.

"You say you don't care. But I just don't believe it." He said again, pulling the sheets off him and standing up. He looked down on her, noticing that she was shaking slightly. Was it from fear?

"I don't." She muttered quietly. Insecurity was all over her words. She took a small step toward the door. This was a dangerous situation. He was flat out..._dangerous_. Maybe she could escape slowly. But her body just didn't respond to that, and she started walking to the door, ignoring him standing there. But no, he just wouldn't have that. Once she reached about a step behind him, he grabbed her arm viciously and pulled her back onto the floor. Her back hit the cold surface hard and despite her trying to hold her head up, she knocked her head on the ground as well. Her eyes were closed tightly, and she was hoping he'd just leave her be...but as if throwing her down wasn't good enough, she felt her arms get pinned up beside her head so her hands were even with her ears. His hands were choking her wrists, and she felt his knees lock her in around her hips. So he was basically straddling her. Great. Just what she needed. On top of all that...she was beginning to get a _splitting _headache.

Her eyes shot open and she immediately glared at him, trying to make him understand she was nobody to mess with. But that wasn't working. He only grinned down at her with that...sick...evil...twisted smirk. Ugh...it made her so pissed. He leaned his head down a bit so his bangs hung down over his face.

"Face it. I have you in between my legs and you love it."

Ah, so that's how he wanted to play. And as much as she realized it...she just couldn't stop herself from getting all flustered. Why was she losing her self control?

"Shut up. That's not true." She snapped angrily, watching him shake his head softly.

"It is. You'd love to just kiss me right now, wouldn't you?" He said tauntingly, raising an eyebrow. He leaned his head down a little further. He loved teasing her.

Sakura's face immediately turned red and she swallowed hard. "No. No I would _not." _Yeah, he was secretly getting the best of her. But her words were firm...showing no sign that he had her.

"But it's me. Sasuke Uchiha. You'd love to have any kind of contact with _me_. Wouldn't you just _love_ to sleep with me, _Sa-ku-ra?_" Okay, so his method wasn't even _close_ to fair...and he knew that. But it was one way to get her riled up. And it was working so well.

Her mouth fell open, breathing coming to a complete stop. Okay...so now it was obvious.

"Why not? We're already in position. I'm on top and everything." His grin widened, showing his teeth. The malicious glint sparkled in his eyes. Damn those eyes. Damn that smirk. Damn him...period. "Just let me help you with those clothes."

He let out a small, evil laugh and she felt herself melt. This wasn't good. Not good.

"Here...just relax." He said, releasing his grip on one of her wrists. He could see her tensing up. She wanted so much to just slap him right now...but as his fingers slowly made contact on the base of her neck...she started to feel numb. He wasn't really going to try anything, was he? And his fingers slowly moved down until they reached the tip of her cleavage over her shirt.

Right where the necklace emblem was.

"Close your eyes, Sakura." He whispered.

She didn't want to...but she just couldn't stop herself. Her eyes drifted closed, much to her dismay. But it wasn't what she had expected. Not even close.

Sasuke grabbed the Uchiha symbled-necklace and ripped it off her neck. Her eyes shot open instantly, but he was just too quick. He stuffed it in his pocket and slammed his hand back on her wrist.

She found herself at a loss of words. "I-I..you..j-just...what the _fuck!_" She was just so angry! That stupid little...he gave that to _her_. It was _hers_!!!

He smirked back down at her. "You didn't _actually _think I was serious, did you? I thought you didn't care...but you did exactly what I said." _Step one, complete._

Now she was downright pissed.

"You damn..._bastard_! I can't stand you...I hope you-"

And all of a sudden a nurse walked in through the door, completely unaware of what was going on. "Sakura, I-" And she gasped, dropping the clipboard on the ground. She backed into the half open door, eyes wide. Sasuke glanced at the nurse and then back at Sakura.

"O-oh my gosh...I'm...were you...i-in the middle of something..." The nurse stuttered, blushing heavily.

And as Sakura started to say 'no'...Sasuke interrupted her. "Yeah, kinda."

She instantly gave him the dirtiest glare she could muster.

"Why don't you give us some privacy?" Sasuke asked seductively, and in an instant the nurse ran out of the room, leaving Sakura alone with this...fiend.

"Let me go." She demanded.

"Does Tsunade know about that wound?" He glanced at her stomach and then back to her eyes.

"No." She was willing to tell him anything he wanted, at least, for now. Right now she was just desperate to be free. He was destroying any piece of her right mind she had left.

"What does she think about me being back?"

"She thinks you came of your own free will. There's no punishment. No nothing. I told her absolutely nothing." She replied, sounding breathless.

_Just tell him what he wants to hear! He'll leave you alone. Then you can get away. THEN you can tell the Hokage what REALLY happened._

Truth was, when she told Tsunade about Sasuke coming home...she left out him stabbing her...and being a complete ass...and, well pretty much everything. She made up her own little story. Just to save him! How stupid...

Sasuke only nodded. "Good." He said calmly. He smiled down at her as she bit her lip.

That sick smile.

She just needed to be _away_ from him!!! Was that so much to ask?!

"Thanks for the necklace. I wanted that back." He said, removing his grip on her wrists and then slowly standing up. Once he was off her completely, she jumped up as fast as she could. She stared at him for a quick second and then exhaled a deep breath. Really, at first...she didn't know what to do. She was still kind of in shock.

"Go to hell. I hate you." She murmured under her breath, sidestepping him and rushing out of the room. She cut off a nurse who gasped as Sakura walked by. "Take care of that patient! I think he needs a few dozen shots in his ass!" She shouted at the nurse, quickly walking down the hallway.

Sasuke only smirked as he heard her vicious words ringing through the hallway.

_Step two, complete._

Now to just get the hell out of here.

* * *

And as if the day just couldn't get any worse...she stormed through the town hall, letting everybody know she was damn pissed. She wanted to go to Tsunade right away and tell her that Sasuke was an ass and needed to be killed. She literally wanted to say that. So everybody Sakura passed just glanced and her and backed out of her way. She was in no mood. No mood at all. And everybody knew what could come of her or the Hokage when they were in a bad mood. 

Bad things. Very bad things.

Things had just been getting too complicated. She was on too many missions, no time at home...too much working at the hospital...personal problems...and for one...being in the ANBU was just too stressful.

Especially her teams.

She had basically two main squads she went on missions with. One squad, she didn't mind so much. It was Naruto and a boy named Taru on that squad. It was the other squad she didn't like.

She was with Sai, a former teammate from about two years ago. They had traveled together to find Sasuke at one point...and she had actually grown not to mind him so much. It was just the other person she didn't like. She didn't know how she had gotten placed on the same squad as this person but...she knew arguing with Tsuande about it would only upset her, so she just stomached the other teammate.

And it was none other than Kalei Hitsuchi.

She had only gone on maybe 3 missions with her...because right after Sasuke had left the village a few months ago...she had left for the Sand village. Nobody was sure why really she stayed so long...but she ended up staying down there for about 6 months. So Sakura had spent the last...almost 6 months...on missions with Kalei and her other squad. They never really had a lot of missions together because most of the time, Kalei was busy. When she returned from the Sand Village, she had brought her little sister back as well.

It was strange though. They only argued sometimes. After Sasuke's leave...Kalei became very quiet. She didn't talk much...and she hated arguing. She didn't really like being touched...and she always seemed really...emotionless. Almost like Sasuke. She hated being wrong and was quick to tell you _exactly_ what was on her mind. She barely ever slept...and her phobia of that rain had increased. She wouldn't even go outside if it was raining...or suppose to rain. She treated it like death. It was weird.

But most of all...it was strange. Very, very strange. And that was what bugged her the most. Sakura had spent the last months trying to get over Sasuke...but every time she seen Kalei...she thought of him. She remembered one argument she had with Kalei that happened to be about Sasuke. It wasn't exactly all that bad but...it really just stuck with her. But at the same time...it was motivation. Really, it was hard to describe.

_"Kalei...can we please just move on?"_

_"From what..."_

_"The weird Sasuke thing that's keeping us from...being friends."_

_"That's over already."_

_"Then why are you so...angry toward me?"_

_"It's not just you. I don't care about you..."_

_"I'm not stupid...I know this has to do with Sasuke...why else-"_

_  
"Sakura...he's gone...and never coming back. I'm over it. And you should be too."_

_"What do you mean he's never coming back?"_

_"It's something you just know..."_

_"I don't believe it."_

_"You'll learn with time."_

And ever since that conversation...she had sworn to herself that she would attempt to move on. It was no life...sitting around and waiting for him. For once...Kalei was right.

Besides...it was such a waste. She never thought she'd see him again. I mean...what were the chances? And she _never_ thought he'd change so much. Why was he being so...different? Distant and rude? He left...so _nice_! She just couldn't understand the drastic change. Nothing made sense. And she was scared to ask. Maybe it wasn't even her business. But...what could have possibly occurred that would...screw him up so much? Along with this new little _'illness'_. I mean...what the hell is that? Why's this all so confusing?

She reached the Hokage's office door and took a deep breathe...completely ready to rant and rave. But as she opened the door and stormed in, she ended up stopping dead in her tracks.

She wasn't really prepared for what she saw. Actually...it was the worst thing she could have ever imagined. There Tsunade was...crying into Naruto's chest. She was sitting in her chair, turned toward a silently crying Naruto. But she wasn't just crying...she was _bawling_. Sakura's eyes widened and she immediately realized something was terribly wrong. Tsunade didn't just randomly cry. She wasn't that type of person. Naruto slowly looked up at Sakura with red, puffy eyes.

"N-Naruto..." Sakura stammered. Tsunade slowly pulled away from Naruto and looked over to Sakura. Just then, Sakura heard somebody...Shizune...walk up behind her. Sakura glanced at her and then back to Tsunade, who buried her head back in Naruto's chest.

"What happened...what happened, Shizune?" Sakura asked, her voice trembling. Shizune sighed and a tear rolled down her cheek. Okay...she rarely ever seen Shizune cry either. This is not good.

"We just received information from the Hidden Rain Village that Master Jiraiya..." Her voice trailed off. Sakura's mouth went dry instantly. This was _really_ not good.

_Please no. Please no._ Jiraiya had gone off to the Hidden Rain Village to hopefully meet up with Pein, a big Akatsuki leader...but that had been a while ago...and they hadn't heard back from him.

"They found his body. He's dead." Shizune finished, and after a minute, slowly started walking ahead past Sakura.

Sakura's whole body started trembling and she looked back over to Tsunade. Shizune walked up and whispered something in Naruto's ear. She then bent down and hugged the Hokage. But...Sakura found herself completely speechless. There was nothing she could say. There was nothing she could do. She was completely helpless. She watched as Naruto slowly released Tsunade and turned to face Sakura. His eyes then traveled to the left of Sakura, surprising her. She slowly looked over too, to see Kalei leaning against the wall, staring at Naruto. Sakura hadn't even noticed she was there!! Her face was completely emotionless as well. Almost like she didn't even care. But that couldn't be true...because she was here. She then looked back at Naruto who was walking up to her.

She quickly threw her arms around him and felt her eyes start stinging. She knew she was going to cry. She didn't want to...but she knew she was going to. She didn't know what hurt worse, losing Jiraiya...or just seeing Naruto like this. Over the past year...her and Naruto had become very close. They were kind of each other's hope. The shoulder they could cry on. They had really grown together. And seeing him in pain...put her in unbelievable pain as well.

"Oh, Sakura...the pervy sage...he's...he's..." His voice was cracking and Sakura tightened her embrace.

"Shhhh, Naruto. I'm right here." She whispered, feeling him sob. She hated when Naruto wasn't his cheerful self. And he hadn't been all that much recently...because him and Kalei hadn't been exactly 'getting along'.

After she had returned from the sound village...she was always very distant...never wanting to talk to him or be with him. And whenever they were together, she always seemed tired. Sick...she hadn't exactly been healthy. She always worse long sleeve clothes as well...like she was cold all the time. It was really strange. So he would worry about her day in and day out...and he'd worry about Tsunade as well. With everything going on...the pressure was all on her shoulders. He didn't know how much she could take...and he was running himself ragged.

And there was nothing she could do. That was the worst part.

"S-Sakura...he's gone. I...can't...b-believe it...I..."

"Naruto...Naruto...I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Nobodies leaving anymore." She said pulling back. She looked him in the eye, feeling tears fall down her cheeks. She bit her lip and wiped away a tear falling from his cheek. She couldn't say 'it's going to be alright'...because in all honesty...it wasn't. So that really left nothing to say.

"Naruto."

They both glanced over to see Kalei standing by them. Her face was somewhat sad, but not completely depressed. Which upset Sakura a bit. She could at least pretend she cared. Was that so much to ask?

"Go. I'll come see you in the morning. Please get some rest." Sakura said, trying to smile. Naruto hugged her quickly again and then nodded.

"Please, S-sakura. Watch Grandma Tsunade...I'm so w-worried about her." He said, his voice shaky.

Sakura nodded and Naruto walked over to Kalei. She laced her fingers with his and slowly led him out the door. Sakura only watched, noticing how Kalei's expression never changed.

Strange.

But she slowly turned back to Tsunade, seeing her wipe her eyes...and a sake bottle on the corner of her desk. She knew what Tsunade would be doing tonight. And it wasn't good.

Sakura wiped her eyes and approached the desk, realizing that now...was _not_ the time to vent about her problems with Sasuke. She had a lot more on her plate. She needed to be that strong kunoichi she claimed she was. And Sasuke...well, in her mind...

He was _nothing_ compared to this.

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_What's Left To Turn To_


	4. What's Left To Turn To

_Chapter Four:  
What's Left To Turn To_

_"I can try to pretend. I can try to forget. But it's driving me mad, going out of my head."__  
_

* * *

This village was no more than nuisance grounds to him. He loathed it here. Absolutely detested this place. And it was for reasons only he could understand.

There were just people here...places here...things that brought back memories. Unwanted memories. Things he wished he could put behind him.

Wasn't Itachi's death supposed to make all this anger and hatred go away? Wasn't he suppose to feel better now that he killed his brother?

Well...it was something completely different he was feeling. Not relief, no. It was almost...a superiority feeling. A thirst for more power. A chance to prove his strength. He wasn't just the only Uchiha left. He was now the _strongest_ Uchiha...of all the ancestors before him. Or so he thought. And he still had a reason to keep going. He wasn't done avenging his clan yet.

It was a good feeling...but at the same time...it drove him nuts.

He had just managed to get out of the hospital...after having all those pointless, not to mention annoying, tests...and it was around 7 o' clock. Sunset.

Sure, the first thing he wanted to do was get the hell out of here. And he had every intention to. But then...why was he still here? Well...maybe because with recent events unfolding...security around this puerile village was on high. Everywhere Sasuke went...every inch of the village gates...it was all surrounded by shinobi. And most of them ANBU. It was ridiculous...and made it much harder for him to get out of here. He had learned that in Konoha...it was much better to try and bluff your way through things...than get up in somebodies face and start fighting. Sure...if he left by force he'd manage to get out...but he'd have shinobi trailing him for a good solid month or two. Not to mention...he had things he needed to do- and running from the Hidden Leaf Village was not one of them.

Nor was returning to it. Damn...

But that clearly didn't matter now. He was just walking around Konoha, killing time. He worked best in the dark. That was what he was waiting for. An opportunity at night to sneak away.

The cold, strong wind breezed through his hair, and also danced around the necklace hanging on his neck. The necklace he had taken back from Sakura. His necklace. Her necklace. He couldn't decide.

Sure he was almost completely heartless...but even he wouldn't just take the necklace for fun. He needed some way to show her he was serious about not caring for her anymore...and he also didn't want to keep giving her the false hope he'd return her feelings once again...because that's what that necklace was doing.

He was in his long black cloak, the one he wore the other night. It was warm...and sheltered him from the wind. But it made him feel...ominous. Like he blended in with the scenery in front of him.

And that scenery...was the Uchiha estate. That was where his 'killing time' had brought him. And here he stood, right outside the gates...staring in at what used to be his home. It harbored his most hated memories. Yet...when he looked in at it...for a second, his thoughts trailed to Sakura.

The night she had stayed there with him. How they had played something close to truth.

Truth.

Kalei.

He closed his eyes, trying hard to stop any other unwanted memories from flooding back. And for the most part, he was successful...until he heard someone shouting 'wait' behind him. He slowly turned around, his hands in the pockets of the long cloak. His face was impassive, staring at the sidewalk corner. There was a building there, so he couldn't see any further. But eventually he heard the shout again, and he heard footsteps. Somebody was running.

He simply watched...until he heard one more shout. But they didn't shout 'wait'.

They shouted some body's name. Somebody he knew. Somebody he didn't want to see.

His eyes widened a little bit as all of a sudden...

Naruto appeared from the corner. His eyes were closed tight...and once he reached the middle of the street, he fell clumsily onto his knee's, wrapping his arms around himself. Sasuke could only watch...wondering what was going on. He had never seen Naruto this way. It was strange. He didn't see any tears falling from his eyes...but it almost looked like he was crying. He was breathing heavy from the run, and his body was trembling. Sasuke just stared, wondering if he had realized his presence.

Then, Shizune appeared from the corner, running up behind Naruto. She too was out of breathe...but she, unlike Naruto, had seen Sasuke right away. She glanced at him for a moment, then looked back down at Naruto, a sympathetic look crowding her face. She knelt down behind him and rested her hand on his back.

"Naruto...be strong." She said softly.

And as he calmed himself down with one deep breathe...his eyes shot open fiercely and abruptly. They were glassy, no doubt...and he was staring straight at the ground in front of him. He was slightly slouched over, looking like a child from Sasuke's point of view.

But he could only guess now, that because he had calmed down...he noticed Sasuke.

And he was right. It was almost as if things had shifted into slow motion. Naruto's eyes slowly moved to his left, where Sasuke was. But his head never turned. As Naruto caught a glimpse of Sasuke, Sasuke eyes widened a lot, and his lips parted a bit. His face was one of shock. And more than likely, on his usually emotionless face...it was priceless.

After a second, Naruto's head slowly turned, and now they were staring at each other. Eye to eye.

And it had to be the most awkward thing Sasuke had ever felt. He was very disturbed with seeing Naruto. Especially like this. If Shizune wasn't here, more than likely he would have taken advantage of this weak Naruto, and killed him. But he couldn't do that now. Tsunade would probably chase after him herself then...and in a terrible fit of rage. Not to mention...he was curious as to why Naruto was so...chaotic.

"Sa...su...ke..." Naruto's lips moved slowly. He was in complete shock as well. But as Sasuke heard his voice, he slowly snapped out of his daze...and right away, his face switched into a glare. It wasn't really a menacing glare...but it was a look of seriousness...and it, no doubt, spoke for itself.

_I don't want to see you right now._

Naruto's eyes widened, and as he blinked, a small, single tear rolled down his cheek. Sasuke felt slightly disgusted. This encounter wouldn't be good.

"Uchiha, you should be at the hospital." Shizune's demanding voice broke the tension. Sasuke's eyes quickly shot to hers and his face shifted once again.

_Now_ he was flat out glaring.

"That's none of your business." He retorted smartly, making her blink a couple of times. Apparently, nobody was used to this new bullheaded Sasuke.

"Excuse me?" She said, standing up and facing him. Her face turned sour...and after a moment, Naruto slowly, and once again, clumsily, got to his feet. He turned to face Sasuke as well, but his face was distressed. Confused...concerned...depressed.

It was all so weird. Sasuke couldn't take it anymore.

He let out a small...'hmph'...and started to turn around, fully prepared to walk away.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted angrily. Sasuke stopped, not bothering to look back at him. "What are you doing? Why didn't you come find me when you got back?" He shouted again, taking a step toward him.

Silence.

"I had no intention of finding you." He said coldly, causing Naruto's face to twist into a confused pout.

"Now, that's pretty rude."

Sasuke looked up to the top of the pillars on the Uchiha estate gates to see his old sensei kneeling on it, reading his perverted book.

_Great...things couldn't get any worse._

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously and he bared his teeth at Kakashi.

"K-Kakashi." Shizune stammered, looking up to him as well.

This was just getting weirder.

Kakashi flipped his book shut and stood up, looking down at Shizune. His open eye crinkled a bit, showing that he was smiling. "You go on back to Lady Hokage. I think she needs you right now. Leave these two to me." He said in a very carefree voice.

"Hn." Sasuke didn't want to deal with this right now. He needed out. Some form of an escape. But what?

"Right." Shizune spoke, turning around and running off in the direction she came. After she was gone, Kakashi jumped down from the pillars to the left of Sasuke, a little in front of Naruto.

"What happened to you?" Kakashi asked, eying Sasuke curiously.

He turned to face his former sensei and Naruto, a fowl glower on his face. "Ran into a problem. Ended up here." He responded icily.

"What problem? And what do you mean...'ended up'?" Naruto asked briskly.

Oh, how to answer...how to answer...

"A certain kunoichi. And by 'ended up'..." His voice trailed off, eyes becoming dark...malicious. "...I didn't mean to come back." He finished, making Naruto flinch.

"A certain kunoichi, hmm? You mean Sakura?" Kakashi asked, unaffected by Sasuke's dark composure. Sasuke nodded, feeling the gust of wind blow hard against his body.

Kakashi knew all too well that Sasuke was different. You could just see it in his face...his body language. His eyes. And he knew that he'd be a stubborn smart-ass...so it was only best to play his game. Show him who was top dog around here.

"Oh...I see. For a second there, I was thinking you meant the other one." He muttered again, getting Sasuke's full attention. Naruto's face twisted into a scowl himself as he looked over at Sasuke.

It didn't take some rocket scientist to figure out who he was talking about.

It was Kalei.

"They're both a problem." Sasuke mumbled coolly, not letting Kakashi get to him. Once again...he just needed to bluff his way out...don't worry about what they might say.

"That's not what you said back then." Kakashi declared.

Sasuke's jaw tightened. For some reason...that upset him. he didn't like thinking back on any of that.

"I didn't mean anything I said back then." He grunted, causing Naruto to raise a fist in front of him.

"What do you mean, you bastard?! You left here with promises! You have to keep those!" He yelled furiously, making Sasuke's body tense up. Wow, he was seconds from decking Naruto in the face.

"I don't have to do anything." He spoke through gritted teeth. Naruto bared his teeth at Sasuke and his eyes were blazing with anger.

"Oh yes...of course you do! Don't tell me you're going to pull that bull again! Stop running away!"

And that was almost enough to completely push him over the edge. He was about to lunge at Naruto...when he felt a sharp pain run through his head. His eyes slowly started burning, and he could feel a small throbbing in the back of his head.

Great...it was happening again. And without Karin...there was nothing to help ease the pain.

He closed his eyes, hoping to stop the pain from increasing too fast, and he took a deep breathe. So, he calmly needed to exit this situation...

"What makes you think I'm just going to leave?" He asked...trying, pathetically, to sound sincere. Naruto dropped his fist to his side.

"I can see it. I know what you said was too good to be true." Naruto's voice was beginning to shake. He had enough to deal with right now. He didn't need more.

Sasuke turned around, focusing on deep breathes. "If you know that so well, then stop listening to me every time. You can't always _believe it._" He grumbled mockingly, starting to walk away.

Naruto started fuming, when Kakashi placed a hand in front of him, telling him not to waste his energy. "Where are you going?" Kakashi shouted to Sasuke. But Sasuke only shrugged.

He had managed to walk away from that one without causing too many problems. With a few hand signs, he disappeared, leaving an upset Naruto and a confused Kakashi to themselves.

All he needed to deal with now, was this coming episode. He needed help somehow. These weird pains would be the end of him, no doubt. But what could he possibly do?

Damn-it...it was looking like things were going all wrong. At this rate...he'd _never_ get out of the village!!

* * *

"Master Jiraiya? No way! I don't understand...he was one of the Legendary Sanin!"

Sakura was talking to her teammate, Taru, on a deserted street, underneath the streetlight. She had just told him the news about Jiraiya...and he was as shocked as anyone else.

"Yes, but...it _was _the leader of the Akatsuki he went to get information on. Who knows what could have happened. But still...I can't imagine he'd be taken down." Sakura said, leaning against an old brick building. Her arms were crossed her front of her. She was staring at the sidewalk, a serious expression on her face. This was too...troublesome.

Taru leaned against the light pole, looking up into the sky. He was as tall as Sasuke, and had hazel eyes, like Tsunade. He also had hair like Naruto's, only it was a dark brown, longer, and a little more unkempt...kind of frazzled. He was skinny, but well built...and had his left ear pierced. He was very very cute, to say the least. He was always polite, and extremely fast. He had been part of the ANBU for about 2 years now...which was pretty neat, considering he had just turned 17 about 2 months ago.

"What kind of information did Lady Hokage receive?" He asked curiously, crinkling his nose.

Sakura shook her head. "Not sure. I think just that some rain ninja found his body around some old deserted building. According to reports...he was...in rough shape." She mumbled, feeling a gust of wind frolic around her short white skirt. She got a spring of goosebumps and held herself tighter.

Taru looked at her and cracked his knuckles. "So you're saying a rain ninja reported it?" Sakura only nodded.

"Yeah...they returned his body...but Lady Tsunade refused to go see it. You know how she gets..." She looked up to Taru, raising her eyebrows at his questioning expression.

"That's odd. Rumor was that Pein happened to be _in _the Hidden Rain Village. Not to mention...a big part _of _it. So wouldn't that mean the shinobi there were on his side?" Sakura stared at him, thinking over his words. She slowly nodded. "So then, why would they report his death? Would it not be better to leave it unknown? It would cause more of a panic, wouldn't it?" He asked again, tugging at his vest. He was wearing a long sleeve white shirt with his shinobi vest, and long baggy black pants. Also, he wore his headband on his right upper arm.

She scratched her head. "No...it would have caused panic but..._this _caused distress. It's going to mess up Lady Tsunade's emotions. And with her being rattled...our village could fall into ruins as well." She sighed. This was a lot to worry about. Stupid Akatsuki.

"Yes...I guess that makes sense." Taru said, now pulling at the long chain around his neck. He weaved it around his fingers, and then unwove it...completely amused with the silver chain. He was a crazy one.

Sakura watched him for a minute and then looked up at the streetlight. It was dim, and flickered every once in a while. It was a lot like her hope. Just fading away...

"This is horrible. We're already short handed on shinobi...and very short handed on _talented_ shinobi. On top of that...the workload was enough to completely throw Old Lady Tsunade off task...this will make it so much worse for her. And we've been stacked with missions already. This will only get worse for _us_. Especially if we start fighting close to home." He adjusted the chain on his necklace, now looking back to the ground.

Ever since he started hanging out with Naruto...he had called the Hokage...'old lady'... and 'grandma'...too. But at least he was always formal to her face.

"I don't know what to do. Lady Tsunade is going to need my help, but I can't juggle everything. Especially with Naruto and now Sasuke." Right away, her words were cut short as Taru cleared his throat.

"Sasuke? Sasuke Uchiha? The missing-nin that came home about a year ago?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"Well, what's to worry about with him?" Their eyes met and instantly Taru knew he was hitting a touchy subject. He just shrugged. "Or...we don't have to talk about it." He knew Sakura's anger problems more than anybody else...well besides Naruto, probably. And he didn't really want to upset her. Not now. She looked irritable.

But she just sighed and rested her palm on her forehead. "Well...the last mission I went on to go check in with the team that was to report of the recent Akatsuki sighting...I ended up meeting up with him and his band of missing ninja." She rolled her eyes, recalling how that meeting had gone.

Taru crinkled his nose again. "Ahh...how'd that go for you? All kissy, kissy?" He said, a small smirk lifting his lips.

Sakura shot up a look that clearly stated he was an idiot and then decided to give him a remark. "He shoved a sword through my stomach...and tried to kill me." She replied smartly. "Yeah, you could say it was touching."

Taru blinked thrice and stood up straight, his arms crossing over his chest. "Oh duh. I'd definitely say so. It just makes me all warm inside." His tone was light, making Sakura feel a bit better. She didn't want to have to worry about Sasuke. He shouldn't even preoccupy her mind.

"But then I'm confused. Why did he do that? Weren't you two friends?" Taru asked pruriently. Sakura sighed heavily again. She turned around to avoid any pitiful looks he might shoot her when she, much to dismay, seen a figure walking into an alley way just down the street. Her eyes widened...curious as to who would possibly be creeping around the village this late at night. She looked back at Taru and nodded her head in the direction of the stranger. Taru nodded, apparently seeing him as well, and they quickly started running down the sidewalk.

"Well...wanna surprise 'em?" Taru asked, a chuckle escaping his lips. Sakura just shook her head, not finding the situation so amusing.

"He wasn't walking fast. We don't want to startle him. Lets just find him." She whispered quietly. But no, Taru had to make this adventurous. He rolled his eyes and jumped onto the roof tops, leaving Sakura glaring at him angrily. But she just picked up her pace, and once she reached the alleyway she stopped in her tracks to see the back of the figure, walking very slowly through the alleyway. She bit her tongue instantly as she recognized the creeper.

Sasuke.

And she knew he noticed her, because he stopped walking and she seen him hold his hand up on the side of his head. Much like the action she had seen him do in the forest the other night.

Was he in pain?

"And here I thought I wouldn't see you again." He grumbled in a low, monotone voice. That same...rude, obnoxious voice.

She let out a little 'che' and took a step into the alley. "Here I thought you'd be gone. Why are you still here?" She asked harshly. She heard a sadistic chuckle come from him and she instantly stopped walking forward. She was just lucky she had Taru around here somewhere...because that same dangerous katana was by Sasuke's side. And it was obvious he wasn't in a good mood.

"Oh, just met up with some old company. Nothing to keep me long." He snarled through his quiet laughter.

Sakura's eyes shot open wide and her lips just moved. "Naruto!" She shouted unconsciously. She took another step, and then realizing this, took one back. She was just startled. She was hoping they wouldn't end up seeing each other. Not tonight. Naruto had it rough enough. Things really _were_ just getting worse and worse.

"You need to leave." She demanded furiously, noticing his grip tighten on the side of his head. He slowly turned around to look at her...his eyes blazing with the sharingan. She took in a sharp breath and took a step back.

His look was so irritating...it had 'annoying' written all over it.

And sure enough...

"You're driving me through a wall." He said calmly, his glare...not so much.

She narrowed her eyes, now getting a little impatient. "No not yet...but I'm _about_ to." She clenched her fists at her side, ready to lunge at him when she suddenly seen him bite his lip and tug a bit at his hair. He closed his eyes tightly and reopened them, barring his teeth.

No doubt, a rush of pain.

Just then Taru jumped down from the building roof, right next to Sakura. He had a kunai in hand, ready to fight...but his expression was just impertinent. He was curious. Was this the Sasuke she had spoke so much about?

"I was wondering when you'd come out." Sasuke hissed through gritted teeth. Sakura glanced at Taru and back to Sasuke. So, he had noticed him around here. Which was impressive...because Taru was good at remaining hidden. But of course. Sasuke was no ninja to mess with.

"So you were? I was just flat out wondering who you were." Taru asked calmly, no threat in his voice. He was naturally a peaceful guy, you could say.

Sasuke only deepened his glare.

"But you're an Uchiha, obviously. I've heard rumors about you. I guess you finally killed your brother." Taru said, a smirk replacing the questioning look on his face. Sasuke let out a 'hn' while Sakura looked over to Taru, surprised. How did he know that?

"So it's already getting around." His tone was resentful. He hated somebody he didn't even know. That was so like Sasuke.

Taru nodded, twirling the kunai around on his finger. "I heard rumors you're after Akatsuki as well."

Now a smirk crept onto Sasuke's lips, causing more confusing to settle on Sakura's face.

"You know that too, huh? I'm curious as to how." Sasuke asked, his tone still dangerous.

Taru shrugged. "I'm curious as to why." And he stopped twirling the kunai, giving Sasuke a glare of his own. But it didn't matter, Sasuke couldn't have cared less.

"It's personal." Was the only reply he got.

"From my last mission I gathered some very interesting information about Akatsuki. Like about the leader." Taru muttered, eyes narrowing even further.

Sakura exchanged glances between the two and then spoke herself. "Pein, you mean."

"No." Taru said quickly, causing her eyes to widen.

"So you know." Sasuke interrupted, making Sakura look at him and grow angry. Why did they know something she didn't?

"The real leader runs the show from the shadows." Sasuke said again, his tone cooling off a bit. Sakura ran a hand through her hair, confused by his words. So Pein wasn't the leader? Who was? And how did Sasuke know?

"You know who it is?" Taru asked.

Sasuke nodded, and as he did so, he felt a sharp pain split through his head once more, and a numbness take over his body a bit. Quickly, the sharingan faded, and as Sakura noticed Sasuke backing away slowly, she unconsciously ran up to him. She reached out her hand toward his head, but he violently slapped it away, causing her to gasp and hold her wrist to her chest. She shot him a dirty look, mad with his actions.

"I can help you!" She said quickly, as he altered his steps to the right to lean against the building. Taru ran up next to Sakura, confused with what was happening.

"Sakura, is he okay?" He asked, causing Sakura to shrug.

"I-I don't know. Sasuke...let me help you." She reached her hand out slowly again, but Sasuke only opened his eyes, glaring at her again with the sharingan.

"You're after him too, aren't you? Tsunade knows, doesn't she?" Sasuke groaned through gritted teeth. Sakura blinked thrice. What was he talking about?

"Yeah." Taru answered from behind her. Her eyes widened, realizing there was something going on she didn't know about. But before she could think anymore on in, Sasuke let out a groan in pain and slowly started falling onto his knee's. But before he got close to the floor, Sakura caught him and his head rested on her shoulder. Her body started trembling.

She was scared. Was she going to lose Sasuke? What was causing these weird pains?

"Don't...do...that." He said angrily against her shoulder, not moving from her grip. She tightened her grasp on him.

"Shut up, would you? I'm trying to help..." She tried to focus on putting chalkra into her hands, but Sasuke seized the one she had resting on his side and held it tightly.

"There's nothing you can do." He spoke into her shoulder again.

Taru bent down, examining the chaotic Sasuke.

"I...I can stop...the pain..." She stuttered, trying to pull her arm from his grasp, but she failed. She bit her tongue, not sure if she was sad, scared, or angry.

But all of a sudden, his hand slowly slipped off her wrist and she felt his full weight on her now. His heavy breathing had stopped.

He had fallen unconscious.

Just like Suigetsu said would happen.

Sakura let out a heavy staggered breathe. She felt Taru slowly lift him from her lap and lug him over his shoulder. "Lets get him to the hospital." He said.

But quickly, Sakura stood up and shook her head. Taru just stared at her, confused.

"No...we'll take him to his house. It might do some good."

"But he needs medical attention-"

"I'll stay there."

"Saku-"

"I will." She said again, her face stern. He knew she wasn't going to budge. And she turned around, walking out the alley, hearing Taru drag his feet behind her.

She needed to get some things straight with him. Not to mention, with herself.

Maybe...in all reality...though she hated to admit it...

The best thing wasn't for Sasuke to leave.

But to stay.

_

* * *

___

Next Chapter

_Mistakes To Make_


	5. Mistakes To Make

**Sorry it took a while to get this up.**

**And this one isn't as long as the others...my apologies.**

**Hope you enjoy, though. Please review!**

* * *

_Chapter Five:  
Mistakes To Make_

_"I am vindicated. I am selfish. I am wrong. I am right. I swear I'm right. Swear I knew it all along."_

* * *

"Ah, so you just let him go then?"

"There was nothing else I could do. I'm sure he's still around here though. I can almost just...feel it."

Naruto was sitting on the wooden porch in the backyard of Hinata's home. He was sitting with Neji, watching Hinata train. Shikamaru was just leaning against a tree to their left, listening to the conversation. He had been training a lot with Neji lately, because they had been on a lot of missions together, along with Hinata. Lady Tsunade had mentioned once or twice, that she was hoping to bump those three up into the ANBU soon, so she was loading them with missions together, to build up some chemistry. And for the most part, everything was going good.

And right now, Naruto needed somebody to talk to. He had gone looking for Sakura, but she wasn't home, and he wasn't sure where she would be. But he could only assume she'd be busy at a time like this. It was early in the morning now, and Naruto was over at the Hyuuga's because he couldn't sleep. And lucky for him, Shikamaru, Hinata, and Neji had already been training.

"Oi, Hinata...take a break. You're going to kill yourself." Shikamaru shouted. Hinata stopped focusing her chalkra and turned around, nodding. She took a deep breath and slowly walked over to the other three.

Also, Hinata's shyness level had gone way down. Her stutter problem was completely gone, and she could manage to hold a conversation with Naruto pretty well...as long as it didn't get personal or embarrassing. She had matured quite a bit.

"It seems strange with all these things happening. I mean...Master Jiraiya passing away...and now Sasuke Uchiha all of a sudden returning." Neji mumbled, moving his legs back and forth over the dirt. Hinata watched his actions. Apparently, he was in deep thought.

"Yeah, and if he came back...all different like you say, Naruto...then that's even weirder." Shikamaru added, crossing his arms in front of him. Naruto nodded.

"He did. He seemed kind of...violent. Like the way he was when we met up at Orochimaru's lair a few years ago." Naruto said, scratching his head. A look of concern crowded his face, making Hinata uncomfortable.

She still had that big crush on Naruto. Go figure.

"I think...it'll be okay, Naruto." She spoke gently, taking a step toward him. When he looked up at her, she flashed him a small smile. He just stared at her for a while, and then the corners of his lips raised a bit, too.

"Thanks, Hinata. I hope you're right." He said.

She nodded, a strand of her long hair falling in her face.

"Hey, Naruto. Does Sakura know he's back?" Neji asked curiously, looking over to Naruto. Naruto's eyes widened, and his smile faded.

He hadn't thought of that.

"I...I'm not sure. But...she has so much to deal with right now. I don't think she can take anymore, you know? I mean...he's not the same as when he left...and Sakura's been...well..."

"Distant...very cold." Neji finished, making Naruto glare at him.

"She has not been _cold_. Sakura's going through a rough time. I mean...it's a rough time for all of us." Naruto said, running a hand through his hair.

Hinata starting twirling her fingers together. Naruto had told almost all of his friends about the Akatsuki and how they were after him. Well, actually, some of them already knew...because he was a big target for them...and along with the village...the shinobi of Konoha had to help protect _him_ as well.

"Naruto, you can't worry to much about Sakura. She's strong. You need to look out for yourself. You're strong too but...it would kill her even_ more_ if something were to happen to you." Shikamaru said, pushing off the tree. He walked over by Hinata and rested his elbow on her shoulder, shooing Naruto a small smirk.

"Yeah, Naruto...if...it would help...I can go talk to Sakura today." Hinata said, her face turning a little pink. She knew Naruto had something going on with Kalei...but she also knew his friendship with Sakura was tighter than ever. It was just more competition for her. But she wanted to help.

Naruto smiled at her and stood up. "Hinata, that'd be great. You do that. And I think I'm going to see Grandma Tsunade now...see how she's doing. Come to think of it...maybe Sakura's even there...do you want to come?" He asked, nodding his head toward the wooden gate. Hinata just stared at him for a second and then nodded, following him as he walked out.

* * *

It was cold.

He could feel something warm...sticky on his fingers...something caked on his arms and his face.

Something extremely uncomfortable.

Blood.

He opened his eyes to see ruins all around him. It was dusty...foggy. He tried to move but his body ached everywhere. He felt his eyes burning, and realized he was taking deep breathes. He couldn't breath. It was like needles running through his chest. He looked all around him but everything grew dark. It got blurry, and he felt something trickling down his legs.

More blood.

He fell onto his knees, feeling his throat grow dry. Closing his eyes slowly, he felt sharp pains shoot through his eyes. He needed to cough...but he was struggling for air the way it was. His hands started shaking...and that was when he heard it...he heard that evil, disgusting voice.

_Foolish little brother..._

His eyes shot open and all of a sudden his breathe cut off. He looked down to see a bright red puddle beneath his knee's. Was this really his blood? When he looked up...it was all black. Completely dark. His eyes narrowed as he seen a shadowy figure walking up to him in the distance.

Itachi.

He tried to stand up, but he couldn't. He felt as though the ground was sinking below him. Why couldn't he move?

Panic started rising in him...and his air supply was running low. How much longer could he go on without breathing? What the hell was happening? His heart started racing as the figure slowly got closer.

_Tell me, little brother...why are you trembling?_

And all of a sudden, Itachi appeared in front of him. Half his face was covered in blood, and his mangekyo sharingan was piercing through Sasuke's eyes. Blood was falling from Itachi's eyes, and slowly dripped into the puddle of blood underneath Sasuke.

Sasuke wanted so bad to move, but he couldn't. His eyes slowly examined Itachi's torn cloak...the blood stains on it. His eye slowly made their way back to Itachi's face...and a sadistic smirk was placed on his lips.

All of a sudden...he felt a splitting pain wrench over neck...like a vice grip, and he felt little droplets of blood running down his face.

Itachi slowly picked up Sasuke's katana that was lying by his feet and raised it over his head, letting out a evil laugh.

_Time to die, Sasuke!_

And as the sword started to fly down, Sasuke shut his eyes quickly.

All of a sudden, he took in a deep, ragged breathe. His eyes shot open violently and he found himself staring at a white ceiling. After a moment, he realized that his hand was lightly wrapped around his own neck. So that's why he couldn't breathe. And _then _he realized...he was taking deep, loud, hoarse breaths. He was in a cold sweat, and his head was throbbing viciously. His fingers were tingling as well.

_So it was just a dream..._

He heard a small bang come from a different room, and quickly, and unconciously, shot up from the bed, so he was sitting up. He looked at the door, eyes wide. He clutched his shirt where his heart was, feeling it pound. His heart was beating so fast. He swallowed hard and wiped some of the sweat off his forehead. The throbbing in his head started growing...and he realized he was probably going to have another violent episode. He unclenched his hands and raised them in front of them, staring at them. All of a sudden he had a flash back from his dream...his hands were soaking in blood, and he could hear Itachi's hoarse breathing.

The sound of his breathing before he had died.

Sasuke quickly closed his eyes and looked away, clenching his fists. He swallowed hard and then reopened his eyes, taking in the fact that he was lying in a bed...in a very familiar room.

His room.

So Sakura had brought him here this time...and not the hospital.

After a moment of trying to clear his head...he pushed the sheets off himself and stood up walking to the door. He opened it and ran a hand through his hair as he walked down the long hallway. He brought his hands in front of him once more...just to find them bloodstained. They were clean, in all reality...but they felt dirty. He needed to clean them...to wipe away any memories of that gruesome fight. He reached the living room, where he seen Sakura leaning against a table. She quickly looked up to him with worried eyes as he walked into the open space. He also seen Taru sitting on the couch in the living room. But it was quiet. And here he was...alone with Sakura.

Well, basically. The living room was a ways off, down another short hallway...so Taru, really, wasn't near them.

Awkward.

After a moment, Sakura pushed herself off the table and took a few steps forward, eyes to the floor. She slowly turned around, facing him, and lifted her eyes to meet his. Hers were gentle...caring...while his were only emotionless. Sakura's eyes widened as she seen him. Pale...sweating...breathing hard. But before she could ask, he shuffled in between her and the table, over to the sink. He turned the water on and threw his hands underneath the running faucet, scrubbing at his hands viciously. He never took his eyes off his hands, though he felt Sakura turn around and watch him.

He just kept scrubbing harder and harder. She didn't understand why. After about a moment, she heard him let out a little 'uck' and murmur 'damn it' under his breath. He turned off the faucet and grabbed a towel on the side...drying his hands just as roughly.

It didn't matter what he did...the blood was still on his hands...at least, when he looked at them. It made him sick. Angry.

Not to mention...his headache was growing worse by the second. He needed to get Sakura out.

Now.

He sighed and turned to face, noticing the concern on her face. It was almost pathetic.

"What are you doing here?" He asked sharply, causing her to raise an arm up against her chest, acting like a wall between them.

And with that, he felt a sharp pain course through this neck, down his body, and up to his head again. He grunted and started to walk away, but as he reached the table in front of Sakura, he felt himself get dizzy, almost like he was going to faint. He stopped and turned to face the table, taking deep breathes. Flashbacks of his dream kept coming back to him, making his head hurt worse. He rested one arm on the table, and closed his eyes.

Sakura watched him curiously. She took a step toward him and swallowed hard.

"Sasuke...if you're in pain..."

Her words were cut short as Sasuke slammed his other fist on the table. It startled her, making her jump back a bit.

_Foolish little brother. You don't have enough hate..._

And the words just kept ringing in his ears. Why couldn't he just get Itachi out of his fucking head?!

And he couldn't see it, but he could feel Sakura reaching out to rest her hand on his back. He quickly spun around, slapping her hand down furiously. She gasped and held her wrist down by her hip. Her eyes met his to see his infamous sharingan stirring in his eyes. Sure, she was a little scared...but she was more worried than anything.

"Get out." Sasuke demanded firmly, barring his teeth at her. She slowly shook her head, feeling her eyes start stinging. This upset Sasuke, making him want to just shout at her...but then he felt more pain shoot through his skull, and he brought both his hands to his head, and leaned back against the table.

Sakura's heart started racing. As she listened to Sasuke groan, she took a few steps toward him.

"Sasuke! I can help you! I can make it go away!" She said loudly.

And those words upset Sasuke.

The next thing he knew, his hand was wrapped tightly around Sakura's neck, squeezing the life out of her. Her hands rushed up to his fingers, digging their way into her neck. She felt her eyes tearing up, and her chest start burning. His eyes were black, and beads of sweat were falling down the side of his face. His other hand was still on the side of his head, clutching tightly.

"What makes you think you can make any of this go away? It won't just _go away_." He snarled angrily.

"Sakura!!" Taru shouted, running down the hallway. He stopped when he reached the kitchen, curious as to what the hell was happening.

As Sasuke watched Sakura stare at him with her jade eyes, his vision started getting blurry. His dream kept popping into his head, and the hand fastened around Sakura's neck looked bloody to him. He clenched his jaw tightly as his brothers words kept coming back.

He was losing it. Completely.

In his mind, he wasn't strangling Sakura...but he was strangling Itachi.

_Time to die, Sasuke!_

And his insanity got the best of him.

"Die!" He shouted angrily at Sakura, ready to forcefully crush her neck.

But all of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain through his chest and felt something cold hit his hand.

It was a tear. Sakura's tears. She was crying.

He quickly released his grip, leaving his hand positioned around her neck. His eyes shot open wide as he realized what he was doing.

He had almost just killed her. What the hell was he thinking?!

He looked at her chest moving up and down slowly, and her calm, tear stained face. She hadn't fought back. Was she really prepared to die? Why wouldn't she fight him...at least for her life?

And then a burst of pain erupted in his skull. It shot down his neck, and he instantly pulled his hand back to his head. It was unbearable. He needed help.

And how he wasn't too afraid to admit it.

After a moment of silence, he heard Sakura's voice...soft, but firm.

"Just...sit up on the table."

He registered her words...knowing that if he did what she said...he'd be accepting help from her. Accepting her in general...something he didn't want to do.

But it was too much.

His hand slowly lowered and grasped onto the edge of the table tightly. He pulled himself up onto the edge and sat there, bringing his hand back up to hid head. His legs were spread open, and he rested his elbows on his knee's, cradling his head in his hands. Well...he was really more pulling the hair out of his head. His head was tilted down, hands on the side of his head...and his eyes were shut so tightly that it hurt.

Sakura took a deep breath, controlling her crying, and took another step toward him. She slowly poured chalkra into her hands, and raising them up.

_Just do it. You can do it. Be strong, Sakura._

She heard Taru slowly walk out of the room, down the hallway...and that made her a little more nervous. But as she heard Sasuke grunt in pain, she realized now wasn't the time to be nervous. She very gently rested her hands on his, controlling the chalkra to slip in between his fingers, into his skin. The feeling on his hands underneath hers calmed her down a bit...but made her wonder...

And after a few minutes, his breathing calmed down, and he was no longer trembling. His hands slowly slipped off from under her hands, allowing direct contact from her fingers to his skin. His elbows slipped off his knees and fell limply between his legs. Sakura continued to heal him, watching as his breathing grew soft, like a child's.

"I don't understand."

Her eyes grew wide as she heard his voice. It was strange...it was...soft...fragile. He was relaxed now, and she could almost just feel his heartbeat.

"Don't...understand what?" She asked him, just as gently.

Silence.

"Why you're doing this..."

She sighed, curious of that herself.

"I'm a medic...I...help people..." She whispered, thinking back on how worried she was about him. How scared she was that she was going to lose him...

"Is that really why you're here..."

Her heart started racing again. What...what did he mean?

"Of-of course...why..." She muttered, hearing a very soft chuckle escape his lips.

"Just wondering." He said, slowly opening his eyes. He stared at the ground...wondering why he felt so relaxed.

She slowly moved her fingers a bit...taking in the silkiness of his hair. She missed him, why lie? She missed his scent...his voice...his feel...

"I like your touch." He said, causing her to take in a sharp breath.

_Oh great, now what do I say?_

"You like it because it heals you." She replied, turning a bit red.

He chuckled again.

"I like it...because you like it."

Her throat went dry, and chills ran up and down her spine. How did he...how did he know?

She wanted to give him some smart-ass reply...she really did...but he had just beat her to all the words.

"But most of all..." He started...slowly raising his right arm up. He slowly reached up to Sakura's stomach, and grabbed her shirt, pulling her in closer, between his legs a bit. He rested his head on her chest, closing his eyes once more, treating her almost like a pillow. And this had screwed up Sakura's position terribly. Her hands were just outstretched behind him...trembling. What was he doing!? He was making her so...flustered.

"I like it because it's _your _touch. It's...familiar..." He whispered under his breath, letting his arm drop into his lap again. Sakura was sure he could hear her heart racing, which was a little embarrassing.

"S-Sas...uke...you don't...you don't mean that..." She stuttered.

Silence.

"Just...let me borrow...your chest...just for now..." His voice was so soothing...it sounded like he was dozing off...

"...Sakura..."

And just the way her name rolled off his lips...everything came flooding back.

Their dates.

Their kisses.

It just...all came back. And strangely...she didn't know how to feel.

She slowly, and maybe a bit reluctantly, wrapped her arms loosely around his head, closing her eyes.

Maybe just for now this was okay.

Maybe...

Just for now...

...Sasuke...

_

* * *

___

Next Chapter

_When You Find The Rain_


	6. When You Find The Rain

**I apologize for being sooo late on this. I've been super busy, and it might be like that for a while.  
So sorry in advance. Also, this chapter was kind of all my thoughts thrown together quickly...  
So it might be a disappointment. Once again, I'm sorry.  
But I still hope you enjoy! Review, and please...don't give up on me. :(  
I WILL KEEP WRITING...if you still want me to:)**

* * *

_Chapter Six:  
When You Find The Rain_

_"You're always here, suffocating me, under my skin. I can not run away. Fading slowly..."_

* * *

He watched the water curl and stir, crashing into the land, spitting up cool mist. His jejune eyes simply memorized the ever changing patterns of the waves. The wind was strong and violent, tossing his long peerless hair in every which direction. He was sitting on one of the few benches positioned around the pond outside of a small park. He was toward the outskirts of town, hoping not to be seen by many, but the occasional person would walk by, giving him, at first, a strange look, followed by a sincere smile. He could see them from the corner of his eye, but he never let his vision stray from the water. It was almost...too fascinating.

Ever changing.

_But I don't understand._

The Village Hidden in the Leaves wasn't suppose to change. It shouldn't have been any different...nor should the people living in it. But it was. It was unfamiliar...annoying...a feeling Sasuke didn't appreciate much.

His elbows were rested on his knee's, hands dangling, along with his fingers, which would jerk occasionally. He was slouched down, getting small surges of the cooling water spray. It was calming, like usual. But everything else...the shinobi on guard everywhere, the tight security around the Hokage's Mansion...it was all a mess. Konoha was showing no sign of any calm composure. Sure, the people in the village did. They would stroll around at the deepest times of night, take their sweet time in getting from location to location, and pretended like nothing was wrong. Maybe they felt secure. But so...why didn't the shinobi that were supposed to protect this area feel that way?

_Maybe they realize they can't just play ninja anymore._

Besides the leaves rustling from a nearby tree, and the waves gurgling...it was quiet. A good place to think. But Sasuke was never really good at that.

It was too late. After what had happened last night...he couldn't just walk away completely unaffected. He didn't remember the smallest details. He really only remembered the dream he had, walking out into the kitchen, having an episode...feeling Sakura heal him...resting his head on her chest...and falling sleep. He really couldn't remember what had been said.

What he said.

What she said.

It was a blur. He had woken up this morning in his bed and had only found a note on his kitchen table. That was all he had to jog his memory.

_If you ever need help, go to the hospital, or come see me._

_But please make up your mind._

Please make up his mind. Yeah, sure. Easier said than done.

Now, what was he suppose to decide on?

He rested his hand on his neck, right on his curse mark. It was funny, really...how things he claimed to be so unimportant to him...could effect him so much. Funny...or sickening. He let out a deep breathe, and all of a sudden heard a crack through the air. A twig snapping.

His eyes moved over to the left quickly, and widened. His head slowly followed.

And it was also kind of funny...that one of those 'unimportant' things...could pull his attention from the oh-so-important staring at the water.

Up on the hill, right next to the tree with the rustling leaves...was just one more memory he was trying so hard to keep out of his mind.

There stood Kalei, one foot resting on a broken branch, the other one a couple of centimeters behind it. Her hair was slightly longer, flying everywhere in the violent breeze. But he could still make out her face.

Her eyes were wide, lips slightly parted, and she was pale. She looked like a deer in headlights, clearly not expecting to see Sasuke. But they had that same look of shock in common.

Neither moved for a moment, simply staring at each other...taking in what was going on. Sasuke ran his eyes over her. She was wearing a black, long sleeve, turtle neck with her ANBU uniform over that. She had long, black boots that went up to her knees on, and had her headband resting on her neck. The very end of her hair was tied in a long white ribbon, with the ends dancing in the breeze.

Besides her pale, shocked composure...her eyes were cold. Dark. Scared. Alone. Her lips were almost as pale as her skin, and all together...she looked so different. She looked beautiful still, maybe even a bit more so...but it was a different type of beautiful...a corrupt, morbid type of beautiful.

What had happened to her?

He slowly got onto his feet, faced her, and dropped his arm down by his side. They simply stared into each others eyes, the wind consuming them. It just seemed so surreal.

After a moment of, maybe awkwardness, Sasuke slowly parted his lips...waiting for the words to come out...but what he could manage...was so small...

"...Ka-"

"Don't!"

Her high pitched shout filled the skies, disrupting the clear silence. She moved her foot from the branch and took a step back, eyes losing their look of surprise. Her lips formed a tight line, almost to show she was angry. But why? And in turn, Sasuke's eyes only widened. Why did she seem so...afraid of him? Angry?

Her eyes now narrowed, making Sasuke curious. He took a step toward her, and she took another small one back. How strange.

And it upset him a bit. His shocked expression turned into a glare...a soft, not so harsh, glare. But a glare none the less. But she met his angry stare with a solemn one of her own.

"Don't move. Don't speak." She demanded in a cold, monotone voice. Her face was almost emotionless, but you could just feel the tension rising in the air.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes a bit. Who was she to tell him what to do? And what the fuck was her problem?

After another moment, Kalei dropped one foot back and slowly started turning around, ready to walk off. But in one, quick, swift movement, Sasuke appeared behind her and grabbed her wrist tightly right as she reached the opposite direction. He could feel her arm trembling, but why?

A few seconds passed, and then all of a sudden, she dropped hard onto her knee's, back straight, head facing down so her hair covered any point of visibility Sasuke might have. He had her arm pulled up behind her, and after he realized that he was probably hurting her, he slowly released his grip. And her hand slowly slipped through his until their fingers brushed, and then her arm fell limply to the ground, slightly bent behind her. He just watched her, as her hair was splayed all over.

What was going on?

"Kalei."

Her name rolled off his lips, firm and demanding, almost as if just trying to prove a point. The tree above them rustled around, causing leaves to fall around them. All of a sudden, Sasuke noticed her shoulders start shaking a bit, and she dragged her arms up and rested them over her face.

Was she crying?

He could hear her deep, shuddering breathes...like trying to control sobs?

Yeah, more than likely.

"...Why?..."

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard her small, frail voice. Slowly, her shoulders stopped shaking so much...and she seemed to be calming down.

"Why?" She spoke more firmly. "Why are you here? Why are you back? You're just going to leave." The words just poured out of her mouth, stumbling off her lips. Her voice was quiet, and mostly emotionless...but you could hear it in her voice that she wanted to cry.

His expression became stoic, and he simply stood behind her, taking in the situation. Everything felt so off...and her words were gnawing at his mind. And she just kept going...

"You don't want to be here. You're going to leave. You're just going to walk away. You'll lea-"

"-Who said I was leaving?" He cut her off, his words sharp.

He didn't really know what he was saying, and it was only when they fell off his lips, that he even realized he had said it. But seriously...

His eyes pierced through her back, and she slowly brought her hands down a bit from her face, staring wide eyed at the ground...not that Sasuke could see. And it was a few seconds of silence...and then he heard a small, quiet laugh. It was broken apart, and sick. It was her same laugh, but a bit lower...and it sounded sarcastic...as if she was mocking his words. And not only was he getting pissed...he was utterly confused...and a bit worried.

"What..." His voice was hushed and serene...and he wanted so much to ask what had happened to her over the time he had been gone...but it never came out.

And after a few seconds of silence, her creepy laughter stopped.

"...It was her...wasn't it?"

Her words were sharp, and bit at him...

He was no fool.

She meant Sakura.

"She's the reason...you're here. It was her..."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Her? Do you mean...Sakura?" His tone wasn't exactly friendly either...but he was just seeing Kalei after a whole year. He didn't want to talk about the very object of his solicitude.

Kalei slowly raised her head a bit, the wind spinning circles through her hair. "...Sa...ku...ra..." She murmured solemnly, almost as if the words were foreign to her...and for all Sasuke knew, they were. He hadn't exactly left those two on good...nor equal, terms.

He snorted quietly, upset with the way this conversation was going nowhere. "Well...no. She's not the reason."

What else could he do? He wasn't about to tell Kalei he was only here because he fell unconscious under Sakura's supervision and ended up in this pathetic excuse of a home. No...so he just said that.

But then all of a sudden, she dropped her hands in front of her and tilted her head up to the sky, closing her eyes. Now, slightly, her face was in sight for Sasuke.

"I see you haven't changed."

His eyes shot open at her remark, making him curious as to how she meant that.

"She brought you here- I know." She murmured...her voice low...angry...but controlled. Sasuke groaned and glared at her. So she knew he was lying...

"But that isn't the reason. Would I still be here if I had no purpose for staying?" He replied coolly, noticing her open her eyes. She slowly slid her hands along the grass and pushed herself up, almost melting into a standing form. She was graceful, no doubt.

"Reason? You mean fate." She spoke firmly, still not facing him. His long bangs whipped around his face, every so often faltering his view of her.

But really...what did he mean? He didn't really have a reason for staying here...did he?

"Fate?" He asked quietly, earning an exasperated sigh from the girl ahead of him.

"Yes, you know...destiny. But you'd be one to deny that." And she slowly tilted her head back and to the side, meeting his eyes with a passionate stare. Sad. Angry. Corrupt.

Who was she now? What was going on? And who was she to pretend she knew him and his morals so well? He was the one that thought he was born only to kill his older brother. He believed in his purpose. And was she trying to say he was denying his destiny...trying to avoid his meaning?

What the-

"What happened..." He asked, interrupting his own thoughts.

Silence.

Her stare never left his, emotionless and cold...turning his face into one of stoic nature as well. And it felt like hours upon hours of simply memorizing each others eyes.

More silence.

"We left on our paths. Things are breaking. People are fading..." And she slowly moved her head to the front again, leaving him in agony. This wasn't right.

And for some reason...only one thing popped into his head. The one thing he wanted to say so bad. And it was as it started to form on his lips, she took a step forward. Instinctively, he reached out his hand to snatch her wrist, but, learning quickly from previous encounters, she pulled her wrist forward and his fingers only brushed her flesh. He took a step forward as she kept walking, feeling the words lodge in his throat.

It really didn't matter how many steps she put between them...

Words have no distance.

"I never forgot!" He yelled softly...more so a loud statement...and it worked its magic, making her stop in her tracks abruptly. He could just feel the tension swarm around them once again.

Because she knew what he meant...or so he thought.

Awkward silence.

"I...I don't know...what you're talking-"

"Your name." He cut off her stuttering words, hearing her almost inaudible gasp.

Bullshit she didn't know.

More silence...until Sasuke let out a small, satisfied chuckle.

"It was a plus...I even remembered your face." A smirk crossed his lips, curious as to what she was thinking. But he knew he was victorious because he had stopped her ever so apparent, desperate escape.

After a moment, her lips formed a cruel smile, out of Sasuke's vision.

_So you think you really remember me?_

She shook her head softly muttering a 'no'. Sasuke's smirk faded, a confused look on his face.

"My face...my name...you remember them, yes. But you don't remember _me_." She said, bending her knee's a bit, reading to jump off. And before Sasuke could say another word, she did just that...leaving him siting there, speechless.

And damn, he didn't like that.

And he didn't like this weird feeling she was giving him...

* * *

So now it was close to midnight...ten minutes to, and here he sat...on a bench with no backrest, near old deserted buildings...a wide patch of grass behind him...a tree off to the side, and a giant tower a few blocks away, with an old golden clock up near the top. The pendulum was swinging...swinging.

And his head was throbbing...throbbing.

He had spent almost the whole day by that pond, until he got sick and tired of thinking out his run in with Kalei. So here he sat, trying to clear his mind of her.

He was slouched forward...elbows resting on his knees, hands dangling out in front of him...head bent down, as if admiring the sidewalk below his feet.

Really...why was he still here?

It had been maybe two or three days...and he had really done nothing to leave. Though it might have been hard...it wasn't impossible to find his way out...and it didn't make sense. He didn't actually still care about this place...did he? And what was going on with everybody around here? Naruto was on edge...Kalei was cruel and cold...and Sakura claimed not to love him anymore.

He didn't know what was more upsetting...the fact that all these changes occurred...or the fact that he might actually care.

But whatever the case...some things _had_ to be the same...right?

His eyes never left the sidewalk...but slowly, he heard soft, quiet, paced footsteps approach him, until after a few seconds they stopped, and he could barely see the tips of some body's flip flops standing in front of him. As if the presence wasn't obvious...

It was Sakura.

She was wearing bright pink flip flops with her long baggy white pajama pants. His eyes, very quickly, glanced up and back down, just fast enough to see how she looked. And she hadn't noticed. She was wearing a bright pink tank top as well...the same one as the night so long ago when he had seen her again for the first time.

And he could smell her...a soft vanilla scent with a bit of cherries added in. Very distinct...and kind of sickening how he could tell.

And they just stayed like that, under the clear, starry, deep sky...her staring at him, with her loose, silky hair flowing in the now calmed breeze. Really...he didn't want to argue, and he could have cared less about what she wanted. He was too absorbed in thought.

Moments passed. No words. Until she felt the need to break the silence.

"I didn't know...if you were okay."

Her words were anything but cheerful...but they were concerned, yet relieved. Actually...he couldn't quite put his finger on it...but it was a soothing tone...

And he chose to say nothing, leaving more silence in the air...

"Are you...uh..." Her words trailed off, showing her nervousness with the situation. She was at a complete loss of words...but who could blame her? The night before had been so different from the night before that. It was just as awkward for him as well...unable to sort out everything that was going on. It was too much to deal with...like he was trying to burn both ends of a candle. And it was annoying him ad nauseam.

And the minutes felt like days. How agonizing.

"I don't understand."

Sakura's eyes widened with surprise to hear his voice, so melancholy. And she didn't know what to say...so she just sat there, staring at the back of his head.

It was a calm night, making them being together feel almost...okay...like it all use to be.

"All that's here is a momento mori. I don't take to this place. And you know it...so why do you still bother with that affliction for me?" His words were soft, but were still frozen.

He always needed to chop logic.

"...Why do you still torment yourself? Sometimes...you just...need to surrender..." His eyelids drooped a bit, listening to his own depressing words.

Clearly, he was just telling her to give up. And she didn't like that. Giving up meant you were weak...but in the first place...

"I told you already...I don't...I don't care about you in that way." She spoke, raising one arm up to her chest, tilting her head a bit. "But...still...I can't just let you be sick."

_Sure...you say that...but are you lying? Why lie to him? He already knows how you feel...but...that's impossible...when you don't even know how you feel. Do you really mean you don't care about him anymore?_

He let out a deep breathe, tracing over the past few days...and his conversation he had with that Taru guy in front of Sakura. There was no reason for her to press _that _subject...about the Akatsuki leader. He'd tell her eventually. He really left himself no choice...besides...

"Whatever's happening with you...I'll understand. If you...try to leave..." She wanted so bad to stop there...leaving it to his imagination. She didn't want to say it but...really, how else could she prove she harbored no such feelings for him? "...I won't be the one to stop you." She finished sharply. His eyes widened a bit. He was startled, yes...but whatever. If she meant her words...that was what he wanted, right?

A moment of silence passed, and she heard, maybe a small laugh from him?

"Will you keep your word? I'm not so sure you will..." He murmured.

She swallowed hard. "Yes, I always do."

Another moment of silence.

"No, you don't." He retorted, causing her brows to furrow.

"I don't lie, Sasuke."

"You have before..."

"What did I lie about?"

A pause.

"You said you'd wait forever."

Her heart stopped. Literally.

And everything all of a sudden felt heavy and mysterious. He never looked up, and part of her was glad because her mouth was half open, eyes were wide, and her lower lip was trembling.

So he did remember.

She heard a small laugh escape his lip once more, and he brought his head up and tilted it back, to look up into the starry sky. It was like a million diamonds, outlining the end of eternity. The place he could not reach. The darkest timelessness, the purest perpetuity.

And it just happened. The words just came out.

"I seen Kalei today."

Just like that he said it, not caring how she would feel or react. Which was lucky for him...that it snapped her out of her gawking, and made her expression turn somewhat sad. It wasn't a subject she was ready to jump on.

"That was probably a shock for her, ha. She didn't know you were here." A random voice said.

Sakura looked off to her right to see Naruto standing a couple feet over, one hand behind his head, the other by his side...and a fake smile plastered on his face. She simply watched him, reading this as an attempt to make the situation less awkward. But Sasuke's eyes never left the scenery above him, though he had heard Naruto's words.

Really, it was a shock for him too. Seeing Sakura again was one thing...because she seemed to have changed...into something stronger. While Kalei...seemed to have...broken down. Something had happened...

Sakura's eyes turned back to Sasuke's. He was acting so strange. And he knew he was. But he didn't understand. Were things really all that different? He found it all so hard to believe...so...well, why not see?

Naturally, his smart-ass nature got the best of him.

He brought his head down again and let out another deep breathe...and slowly raised his head up to meet Sakura's eyes.

"She looked better than you." He mocked, a smirk sliding onto his lips.

Sakura blinked thrice...and then gave him a small smile. At least he was making jokes. And all the while, Sakura heard Naruto sigh and take a step toward them.

"You two...always arguing..." He laughed out, bringing his other arm down by his side.

Sasuke's smirk grew a bit. He was right. They were always arguing. Because arguing with Sakura...well, it was just fun. And he was sick of awkward moments. So to lighten up the mood...

"I'm serious. She looked better than you." He sneered, causing Sakura to frown...and slowly glare at him.

"Oh, is that so? Really...tell me how?" She snapped, taking a step toward him. Sasuke shrugged, only to infuriate her more. How interesting. Her temper had definitely gotten worse.

"Just did. Look at you." He gave her the once over, knowing that that would do it.

And it did.

She took another step toward him, and as he raised his arm unconsciously as a form of shielding, she snatched his wrist tightly, glaring at him with a malicious tint in her eyes. At first, it hurt...and then...it really hurt. Sasuke tried to pull his wrist back, only earning a tighter grip.

"Let go of me." He spoke calmly, earning a scoff from the angry Sakura. He tugged once more, feeling her grip tighten again. The chalkra wasn't visible yet, but it was there. And damn, did she have strength. "Sakura, let go." Now his words were angry. "Let go!" His voice rose, feeling the pressure grow. And as he raised up his other hand to pull her hand off, she grabbed his other wrist, applying the same force. He bit his bit hard and growled at her. Now he was pissed.

"Say that's not true." She ordered, making him roll his eyes and hold steady as she pulled forward. And with a few more seconds, the chalkra became visible. The pain rose.

"Damn it, Sakura- let go!" He shouted, now pulling back...and as he did, she took advantage of it and pushed him forward hard, causing them both to topple over the back of the bench. And in a split second, with some crashing to the ground, Sakura ended up pinning his wrists up by his ears, straddling him, while his lower legs were still resting up on the bench. She was slouched over him a bit, with a shocked expression on her face, staring at his shocked, and angry, expression.

Wow, this position felt too familiar.

It took a while to realize what had happened, and once Sakura realized she was on top of him, an evil smirk twisted onto her face, making Sasuke blink a couple times. She chuckled a bit.

"Who's on top now?" She sneered victoriously, earning a quick glare from Sasuke. He had half a mind to push her off, but she was holding him tightly to the ground. And really, he didn't want to let her win. So he knew just what to say.

He leaned his head up a bit so their nose's touched, which instantly made Sakura flinch. Apparently, she didn't like his touch. He chuckled softly, his breath fanning over her face.

"Now Sakura, we both know if we were going to do _that..._I'd be on top." He whispered to her, a smirk ever present on his beautiful features. Sakura immediately gasped, her throat tightening. And it caught her off guard perfectly. Sasuke felt her grip weaken if only for a second, and used his knee's behind her, to buck her off and up above him. He sent her flying a couple feet over him and heard her crash to the ground, giving out a small squeal, followed by a disappointed grunt. He let out a sigh and slowly pushed himself to sit up.

He brought his hands up in front of him and looked at his wrists.

And it was then, that he realized...that she was serious. She really hated him.

His wrists were already bruising...and they looked mangled by her touch. It was the type of injury that would get worse in a few hours. He just stared at them with wide eyes, trying to comprehend what could have possibly been running through her mind. Was she honestly trying to hurt him?

Naruto's laughter broke into the crisp air, causing Sasuke to glance up at him.

"Haha, wow Sakura! You literally just got your ass kicked by Sasuke!" He said, trying to control his laughter, and apparently failing. He turned around and took a few steps away as to not upset them both too much, And as Sasuke looked down at his wrists one last time, he looked over his shoulder at Sakura.

She was siting Indian style, brushing off her arms with a disappointed and angry look on her face. Her lips were in a tight line, her face was red, and her brows were furrowed. He looked back at wrists and his glare disappeared, replaced by a stoic stare. He got up onto his feet and turned around, facing Sakura, who glanced up at him and then back at the dirt like she wanted nothing to do with him.

What was he supposed to say? What was she supposed to say? Why did this all feel so...

"You're annoying." He said plainly, turning around and walking off. "Hn." He said once more, leaving her sitting on the ground.

It was after he got about 7 steps in between them that he heard her call out to him.

"Oh, Sasuke?"

He kept walking.

"Happy Birthday."

He stopped, tightening his jaw.

"How did...why..." His head tilted down a bit.

Sakura stood up and turned around so her back faced him. After a moment of standing like that, Naruto glancing between the two, apparently done with his annoying laughter, Sakura started walking off, and as Sasuke heard her footsteps, he started walking away as well. Naruto didn't know which one to follow, so he only groaned and turned around to walk off in a completely different direction.

With a few more steps, Sasuke heard the clock strike midnight, and the bell ring out through the deserted area. He stopped and looked up at it, eyes watching the pendulum swinging back and forth.

So what would he do now? What was honestly left to do?

Well that was easy. He had to leave.

The sooner, the better.

Right?

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_Beyond Good Logic_


	7. Beyond Good Logic

**Once again, sorry this took so long to get out. I've been busy.  
Anyway from this point on I'm going to be getting more into the plot.  
There will be more SasuSaku moments and more twists.  
Hope you enjoy and keep reading.  
Please be patient with me- and review!  
Thanks!**

* * *

_Chapter Seven:  
Beyond Good Logic_

_"I'm not sure that I could walk away now, end it perfectly and just say your words are not affecting me."_

* * *

Her back rested against the brick wall, arms crossed in front of her. The shadow made her presence feel more hidden, even though she probably wasn't. Her eyes were closed, listening to the quiet bickering. And this bickering, was pleasant...compared to what she knew would come.

She opened one eye as she heard footsteps walking down the opposite side of the alley.

"You wanted to see me." Sasuke's low, quiet voice roamed through the air. He walked slowly over to her.

"Yes." Lady Tsunade responded, opening both eyes and looking at him.

"Yeah...in an alley though?" He replied, reaching her. He stopped walking and put his hands into his pockets, eyeing Tsunade's calm expression. She nodded and looked off into the opposite direction.

They were between two old buildings by a calm water fountain near some village monuments. They were standing by the edge of the alley way, as if hiding from something. After they grew silent, Sasuke could hear the faint voices as well, arguing about something.

Tsunade sighed heavily and leaned her head back against the wall as well. "It's funny how things can change so quickly." She spoke softly, pulling her arms tighter against her chest. Sasuke took a few steps past her and peered over the corner of the building. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Sakura and Naruto sitting on a bench together, their voices intertwined in creative discussion.

Or argueing...whatever you want to call it.

"They've been like this for a while now. It's so strange." Tsunade spoke wearily, looking over at Sasuke. He took a step back and leaned against the wall opposite of the Hokage. His eyes met hers, piercing her gaze. Hers, tired. His, careless. But even though his composure said he wasn't interested, it was almost clear he was.

"They argue about the smallest things, and really...Naruto isn't one to argue. But lately...well I mean...this has been going on for about two months." She tilted her head down and sighed once again. She scratched the side of her head and then looked back up at Sasuke, whose gaze was drifting off to the side.

Maybe he wasn't interested?

Or maybe...he was listening. The voices in the background were faint.

_"That's not a stupid reason."_

_"Yeah...maybe there's no such thing as stupid reasons, just stupid people."_

_"Ouch...that's harsh, Sakura."_

_"You're the one who told me I was hopeless!"_

_"I never said that you were hopeless! I just said loading yourself with too much was!"_

_"You'd know, huh, Naruto? Always sooo busy?"_

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, peering out into the clearing. Tsunade was right. Naruto never really argued back...at least not with Sakura.

Well...from what he remembered...he never used to.

"I'm sure you know...Jiraiya...is dead." Tsunade mumbled, causing Sasuke's eyes to shoot to hers.

Awkward silence.

"I'm sure it's just another strain on Naruto. And with you being back..." Her voiced trailed off as she noticed Sasuke's position tense. She stared at him for a moment, feeling tension form in the air. "I already know...about what really happened when you met up with Sakura."

"Hn."

What a reply.

Tsunade uncrossed her arms and crossed them again, trying to avoid any unwanted comments.

"Is that why you asked to see me?" He finally spoke, making the Hokage's eyebrows raise.

_"But that's not the point..."_

_"The point is...we're pushing too hard...and it's not our decision."_

_"So you're giving up? That's it?"_

_"Sakura...what else can we do?"_

_"Something. Don't sit around."_

Tsunade adjusted her leaning position a bit. "Despite my knowing everything that's happened with your being here so far...I'm not upset. No, really...I wanted to see you for a different reason." Might as well cut to the chase.

Sasuke glanced at Tsunade, and then back into the clearing. Hearing those two argue was...for some reason...making him uneasy.

"What is it?" He asked harshly, eyes now moving back to hers.

She uncrossed her arms and stood up straight, shuffling over a bit to the left, closer to the edge of the building.

"I know what you're after, and in all honesty...I think you know what I'm after as well."

Sasuke's eyes widened at her words. "So you really do know about it?" He asked, less sharpness in his words. It was almost as if Konoha was becoming a harbor for many secrets and changes.

Tsunade nodded.

_"Why can't you just grow up?!"_

_"Grow up...?"_

_"I'm doing all I can for everyone, and here you're telling me to stop."_

_"I'm only saying it's foolish."_

_"So I'm foolish?"_

_"Whatever! If that's how you want it to sound then yes, you're foolish!!"_

The voices were rising.

"Madara Uchiha." She spoke calmly. Her eyes met his, and his expression turned into a glare. And after a few seconds, Tsunade's did as well. "I'm not sure exactly what happened to Jiraiya but...Madara...also known as Tobi...is behind it all." She continued, a scowl on her face.

Sasuke could see the anger in her eyes. A yearning for revenge.

It looked all too familiar.

"You're looking for him. Konoha is looking for him. I need him found, and soon." She said again, eyes drifting to her left, out into the clearing. The sky was cloudy and grey, and the weather was slightly chilly. A rather dreary day.

"Get to the point." Sasuke demanded, shifting his hands in his pockets.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed even more. "If you must leave...then go. But if not...I could use you, Sasuke."

His heart jumped, and he tightened his fists in his pockets. What a stupid request!

_"There's nothing you can do."_

_"Just...shut up already!"_

_"Think about it...there's so little we can accomplish..."_

_"Sakura."_

_"Isn't that what you're saying?"_

_"Stop being like this! It's not my fault this happened! You're the one who brought him back!"_

Sasuke shifted over a bit to peek at the two fighting. The words were sharp to the tongue now...and clearly, they were talking about him.

"I know it's almost an imbecilic request...but we can benefit from each other. Face it, if you had every intention to leave...you'd be gone. But something is holding you here. You need my assistance. We don't have to be enemies." Tsunade continued, never moving her gaze back to Sasuke.

A moment of silence passed.

"Pein acts as the leader, taking orders from behind the scene. Getting to Tobi won't be easy, and I don't have much time." He replied, his words regaining some of the coldness from before. Tsunade bit her lip. "With the possibility of you somehow finding him before me...you won't be able to take him out. Itachi told me that Madara assisted him in the assassination of my clan." He continued.

Tsunade nodded.

_"That's bullshit, and you know it!"_

_"Oh is it really? Tell me why you still get so defensive!"_

_"Your...an asshole!"_

_"Save it, I've heard that one before!"_

"Perhaps. But you think _you _can?" Tsunade counted, hearing a small scoff from Sasuke. Lacking manners. Stubborn as ever. Same old Uchiha.

"I've heard he's lost some of the strength he was once well known for. But still...only my eyes can keep up with him." Sasuke peeked around the building once more, to see Sakura standing, shouting at Naruto, who had an angry look imprinted on his face.

Silence.

"I've heard you're in no condition to use those eyes." Tsunade looked back to Sasuke, and her eyes widened. He was full out glaring at her with the sharingan, clearly not liking her comment.

"I don't know what Sakura has told you, but I'm fine."

"I'm no fool. Besides what she's told me, it's clear your body is run down. I can just see it in your eyes. Your physically...and psychologically in no position to throw yourself into battle." She spat, earning a dangerous groan from Sasuke.

"I'm fine. Need proof?" He challenged, making Tsuande's brow furrow.

"Forget it, Uchiha. There are important matters at hand. Don't play games."

_"I can't believe you're this stubborn! You're no better than Sasuke!"_

_"Like you'd know! You're just as stubborn!"_

_"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"_

_"I hate arguing with you! Why do you always have to fight with me, Sakura?"_

_"It's your fault!!"_

_"Isn't it always?! Because what, you're perfect?!"_

Sasuke's thoughts were interrupted by those words. Naruto wasn't one to say such harsh things...especially not to Sakura. His eyes trailed around the corner to see Naruto standing up as well. By the sounds of their words, it would be no surprise if this got physical.

"I wish we could help. It's a shame."

Both Sasuke and Tsunade looked down the alleyway to see Kakashi walking up. His hands were in his pockets, body language, calm. Sasuke eyed him curiously, still listening to Naruto and Sakura fight.

Tsunade sighed and shot Kakashi a worried look. "These two. What can we do?" She asked, her voice desperate.

Kakashi walked up in between them and looked over the corner as well. It was almost like front row seats to a horror film.

"Nothing, apparently. They only grow farther apart. It can't be helped." He replied solemnly, making Sasuke's eyes widen. No way...was everybody really changing this much?

Tsunade's brow furrowed and she took a deep breathe. "Kakashi...I'm worried about Naruto. He's-"

"Worried about you. And so am I. And so is Sakura...and the rest of the village." Kakashi glanced at her, and then over to Sasuke. Sasuke met his curious gaze with a bored, uninterested one of his own.

Kakashi sighed and looked away. "I'm glad _some _things never change."

Ouch. Sasuke's throat tightened. For some reason...that hurt. But...what did he care what the village thought of him? This wasn't his home.

And all of a sudden, Sakura's high pitched voice filled the air...an exasperated screech.

_"I can't take this anymore!!"_

Sasuke ground his teeth together, wondering what to do. This village was falling apart all around him. Nothing made sense anymore. He thought over all the words he had heard tossed around in their argument. He took a deep breathe, and peered around the corner, along with Tsunade and Kakashi.

Naruto and Sakura were now facing each other, glares imprinted on both their faces.

"I can't! You...you...I _hate _you, Naruto!" She shouted angrily, body shaking. Naruto's face twisted into a frown, but he rolled his eyes.

"...I've never heard that one before." He retorted, trying to hide the hurt in his voice.

But Sasuke could pick it out. Obviously. And he had never heard Sakura say that to Naruto before either. What the hell was going on?!

"I'm serious! Here...take...you're stupid-" Sakura grabbed at a bracelet around her wrist, trying to pull it off. But clearly flustered, she couldn't unlatch it, which gave Naruto enough time to forcefully swat her wrist down, making her other one fall to her side. His grip was tight, causing Sakura to look up at him with a sad expression. But what was the story behind that bracelet?

"Sakura, don't." Naruto spoke calmly, his glare softening as well.

Sakura swallowed hard. "Let go, Naruto."

But he never let go, and in anger, she too, wrapped her hand around his wrist and started pouring chalkra into her palm, crushing his arm. Naruto flinched a bit, but showed no sign of pain.

Sasuke only watched it all unfold until he heard Tsunade's voice break in.

"She always does that...tries to hurt him physically...and then gets so upset when she can't. But she doesn't realize...it's all emotional." Her voice was soft, and it seemed like she was really just speaking to herself. But Sasuke's eyes never left those two.

She kept her grip firm...squeezing. Her face was a slight glare as Naruto's was simply emotionless, showing her no pain. After a few second of this, she abruptly stopped the chalkra flow in her hand and pulled her hand away from his wrist quickly. She spat something angrily that Sasuke couldn't hear and she turned away from where Sasuke was secretly watching. She took a few steps away as Naruto sighed heavily and started rubbing his wrist.

And then he seen it. On the other wrist was slight bruising...similiar to how Sasuke's looked.

Was that from Sakura? It looked like Sasuke's, only it looked like it had happened a few days ago. And that was going to happen on his other wrist too.

Sakura's steps were slow, clearly like she was waiting for something to stop her from walking away. And that's exactly what happened.

"Stupid."

That was it. That was all he could say.

He was already a few feet away from the alleyway, making his way over to those two. Sakura had stopped dead in her tracks, and Naruto had turned to look at Sasuke, with no showing of surprise whatsoever. Maybe he had known Sasuke was there?

All of a sudden, words just rushed to Sasuke's head.

"Your both stupid." He said again.

Guilt started to show itself in Naruto's eyes as he glanced over at Sakura. Her eyes were glued to the ground in front of her, a look of complete distress accounted for on her features. This shouldn't have happened. Why did she always need to argue? Why did she feel so hostile?

"Look at you two, wasting your time fighting with each other...about me, nonetheless." Sasuke growled, a slight hint of mockery in his voice. Something burned in Sakura's stomach. She wanted so much to swear at him, telling him to shut up. He didn't know anything! He was the traitor who left with the promise to return...but never did. No, he needed to be brought back. He had no right to even speak.

"How pointless." Sasuke continued as Naruto turned to look at him.

"And look at you...wasting your time...hiding in the shadows watching us fight. Why?" Naruto muttered, a small irascible smile on his face. Sasuke's eyes met his and he let out an exasperated sigh.

"Coincidence, simply. But this little episode helped me realize what's really happening to this place." His eyes now shifted to Sakura, who flinched at his words. She shook her head very softly and Sasuke felt a bit of resentment toward her.

"Can you two handle seeing me off together?"

Sakura jumped at Sasuke's words, a cold chill running through her body.

He was leaving.

Really leaving.

Again.

She bit her lip and let out a shuddering breathe. After a moment of silence...

"Of course." She heard Naruto say. And his words shocked her. Was he really going to let Sasuke just walk away like that? That easily? She had thought so well that he'd be the one to stop Sasuke.

Was she wrong...?

"Good." Sasuke spoke simply, turning his gaze to Sakura. She could feel his stare, and knew he was waiting for her reply. So without a word, she nodded and started walking forward, in the direction of the village gates. Naruto slowly started walking behind her as well, and so did Sasuke.

As he watched his two former teammates walking ahead of him, he felt a pang of self pity. Why didn't he just leave? Tsunade had given him the go to leave whenever...so what was the reason of inviting these two along? Maybe it was to find something to hold them together for a while longer...

...because maybe after it was all over...it would all fall apart.

They were almost out of sight when Tsunade and Kakashi walked out from the alleyway into the clearing. Tsunade sighed and walked over to the bench. She glanced at the bench and up at the three walking away.

"You told him he could leave?" Kakashi asked quietly. Tsunade nodded and shot him a wry smile.

"I said he could. But he still had a conscience." She spoke firmly. Kakashi's eye wrinkled.

"Lady Hokage...do you believe time can erase everything?" He asked casually, sitting down on the bench. He also watched as the three disappeared from sight around a corner.

Tsunade shrugged. "I know there are three things people never lose. Their love, their hate, and themselves." Her words were smooth and comforting. Her grandfather had told her that when she was very young, and she still remembered it. After all, it seemed pretty realistic. Reliable.

Kakashi rested his hands on his knee's, looking up into the sky.

"You never lose the love you hold for people. There was a reason they were so precious...and that feeling is not ment to be lost." Tsunade smiled off into the distance, a feeling a reassurance flooding over her. "And you never lose your hate. It's such a powerful emotion, and if love is so unforgettable...hate, being the complete opposite of love and...well, its rival...it only makes sense you wouldn't lose that either."

She thought back on her little brother and the time she met Naruto.

"What about losing yourself?" Kakashi asked curiously, closing his eyes. He pictured his past as well, along with his idealistic view of the village.

Tsunade sighed. "Well, it's possible to lose yourself. As a matter of fact, we all do at sometime. But my grandfather told me that...even though you may lose yourself once in a while...you never lose yourself for long. After all...you're the one thing you can always go back to. It's hard to lose something you created from scratch. You love yourself. You hate yourself. And you _need _yourself."

She looked at Kakashi and gave him a hopeful smile. He opened his eyes and glanced at her.

"It's possible to lose yourself so much that you can't exactly find yourself . But that's what other people are there for. To show you the way back to who you really are. Past the love and hate...there's so much more to a person." She continued, placing her hands on her hips. She started giggling a bit and turned to walk away from the bench, leaving Kakashi to watch her as she walked away slowly.

"And you believe all that?" He called out after her.

She shrugged and called back, "It's a matter of fate, Kakashi. Fate...and hope." She inwardly complimented herself for sounding so much like a preacher than the Hokage. But in times like this...hope was all you had to rely on.

And she needed to give that one last thing to the village.

* * *

Her thoughts were spinning rapidly in her head. There was too much to do...and if Sasuke left she'd only worry more. She didn't need that extra burden...but who was she to ask him to stay? After all...she had told him on numerous occasions already that she didn't harbor the same feelings for him as before.

And she wasn't a liar.

Either way...the fact that it was too late slowly started to sink in as she found herself standing still by Naruto, right in front of the village gates. Sasuke was a few feet a head of them, staring at the empty guard stand and the big pillars. Suddenly, things felt surreal. His eyes ran over the Konoha symbol at the top and his heart started pounding in his chest.

"Sasuke."

Naruto's voice jerked him from his trance and he took a deep breathe, not bothering to turn around and face him.

"I don't know whats out there that you're going after...but I hope you know that's not the only option." Naruto repeated, his words seeming rather down.

Sakura swallowed hard. If this was Naruto's attempt at making him stay, it was rather pathetic. But who was she to talk? She had nothing to add.

"I know." Sasuke murmured quietly, feeling the throbbing melt its way into his skull. He started to feel kind of hot...and his mouth was getting dry.

Naruto ran a hand through his hair and scanned the area. It all seemed so morbid. "Then...you'll keep yourself well?" He asked solemnly.

_You're so stupid, Naruto!_ Sakura's psyche was screaming. But her lips wouldn't move.

"I will." Was Sasuke's reply.

Naruto nodded, and Sakura could see out of her peripheral vision that he was clenching his fists tightly at his sides.

This was it. All or nothing. And Sakura felt a rush shoot through her body. And then she knew...and he knew...that even though she was saying nothing...she was saying more than words could even explain.

This was her way of being strong...but begging him not to go.

"Sasuke, we need you! The village isn't the same- and you know that! It's so clear! You're strong...and could help us! Maybe our goals are the same! Stay here, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted randomly. Sakura glanced at him and then again at Sasuke's back.

What would he say to that?...

"Maybe...but...it's too late." He said one last time, and slowly started walking forward.

Naruto gritted his teeth together to stop himself from shouting anymore pointless pleas. This was how it had to be right?

Sasuke repeated that over and over in his head...but for some reason...each time it made less sense than before. He needed to find Madara...and Tsunade had clearly stated that she was after him as well. It would take time...precious time...to find Madara on his own. Even his teammates weren't much of an advantage. But Konoha had a military engaging itself in the same purpose as his own. Maybe...just maybe.

He stopped, giving the symbol at the top of the gates one last look.

_Maybe...just maybe...this could work._

Konoha could locate Madara.

That would save him loads of trouble.

In the meantime...he could train...get access to information about the Akatsuki.

And it was all for a small price to pay, right? It was just Naruto and Sakura...he had stayed with them for a while before...he had managed. What could go wrong?

_Lots, you idiot._

But things were different. He wouldn't make the mistake of losing himself to somebody else all over again.

He took a deep breath and growled a bit under his breathe.

_Just be sure you're making the right decision, Sasuke. It may be the biggest one you'll make._

Oh, whatever.

He turned around quickly, dropping a foot back. His eyes met Naruto's instantly, causing a look of confusion to flood his previously saddened expression.

"Maybe our goals are the same. Staying might not be so bad." Sasuke replied, closing his eyes. He started walking forward, and as he did, Sakura felt her body go numb.

No _way_ was this happening.

Her eyes never left his body as he strolled calmly up to them, clearly aiming to walk right in between them. Naruto took a step back, a smile plastered on his face, and Sakura did the same, her eyes wide with shock. She was so...confused.

And as Sasuke reached the two of them, he opened his eyes and they met Sakura's, making her blush slightly. As he continued to walk past them, right before he looked away, a small smirk flashed on his face. If only for an instant.

After he passed them he kept walking. Naruto chuckled a bit and started walking behind him...and Sakura unconsciously smiled after them both.

Funny how he could still do that.

And ironic how this was all working out.

Sasuke sighed as he continued to walk back into the village.

He wasn't sure how this was going to turn out...but he was ready to make mistake number two.

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_Waking Up To Memories_


	8. Waking Up To Memories

**Very sorry for the lateness. My apologizes. I hope everybody is still reading.  
It will get better.  
I promise.**

* * *

_Chapter Eight:  
Waking Up To Memories_

_"But I don't wanna go on living being so afraid of showing someone else my imperfections."_

* * *

"I would like to reinstate Sasuke Uchiha into the shinobi military, and add him directly to the ranks of an ANBU. This request comes of personal recommendation. His skills would be very beneficial to us, and in this time, we can use all the help we can get."

Tsunade slouched slightly in her chair, one leg crossed over the other. Her voice was strong and firm. She sat in front of the council of elders, eyeing the five of them. She wasn't sure exactly how this would turn out. She had already requested to have Naruto and Sakura bumped up into the ANBU without first becoming jonin, or even chunin for Naruto. That was a lot to ask for right there...but yet, here she was...asking for more.

"Tsunade, do you realize the extremity of all these requests you've been having lately?" An elderly woman named Moriko spoke. The five elders were lined up behind a tall desk. There were three men and two women.

Tsunade furrowed her brow. "Yes, but these three would work best together. It's only a nat-"

"Tsunade, bumping up Naruto Uzumaki to ANBU from a genin was an outrageous enough request for you. Nonetheless...we allowed it. We can't keep giving you such a broad range of this privilege. Soon nobody will advance in ranks as they should." An elderly man named Shinobasu interrupted her, making her lips draw into a tight line.

This wasn't going good.

Naruto and Sakura were standing behind her a ways, leaning against a wall. Naruto kept shuffling his feet, while Sakura stared intently at the back of Tsunade's chair.

What was the Hokage going to do now?

"These three are no ordinary ninja!" Tsunade bellowed, clearly getting angry. This outburst caused the elders' reactions to turn sour.

And right next to Tsunade, on her right, was Sasuke, staring at the elder sitting in the middle. Sasuke's expression was calm, but Sakura could see him clenching his fists at his side.

"Look, the village is in distress. We are losing shinobi left and right. What good would have come with leaving Sakura and Naruto as chunin or genin?" Tsunade shifted her legs, crossing and uncrossing them. "Advancing them in ranking as soon as possible was the best option. They're much more useful in missions that meet their skill level. And same goes for Sasuke."

"But what about the fact that he isn't even properly stated as a leaf ninja anymore?" Another elderly woman named Bianko asked. She looked across the desk at the other elders, causing some of them to nod.

Tsunade shrugged. "It's a matter of simple paperwork. Besides, what does it matter? All that paper...stupid little notes-"

"Tsunade!!" Bellowed an elderly man named Junko. He slammed his fist on the desk, causing Tsunade to jump. "Take this seriously!!" He repeated.

Tsunade leaned forward, a dirty scowl on her face. "I am!! This is the best possible option! Sasuke can only be used to his full potential if he's working with the right people...at the right skill level!!" She shouted back, causing Junko to growl under his breath.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Junko was the one sitting in the middle of the table. The one Sasuke was eyeing so carefully. It seemed he was able to pick out the one that was going to be the hardest to convince.

"Look, he underwent punishment when he was last here. And I have reports of his behavior during that time." Tsunade nodded her head toward the door on her right. "Kalei!" She shouted.

Immediately, Sakura's eyes shot to the door. She all of a sudden felt on the defensive, and as she glanced at Sasuke, she seen him staring at the door as it opened. His eyes were wide.

The door opened and Kalei walked in slowly. She shut the door and made her way to the Hokage, passing Sasuke without sparing a glance. Her expression was calm and collected, while Sasuke eyed her confused.

Sakura nudged Naruto. "Naruto, what's she doing here?"

"I-I don't know..." He replied, his eyes watching what was going on in front of him.

"Council of Elders!" Kalei calmed firmly, turning to face the five men and women. She started walking up to the desk, pulling some papers out of her pocket. "Here I have reports of Sasuke Uchiha's behavior and actions over a period in which he served punishment. If you review them carefully, you'll see it meets your expectations." She reached the desk and rested the papers in front of Junko, who passed some out to the others.

Sasuke bit his lip. All those reports..._what could they have said?_

"Given the conditions met, he served punishment and passed with flying colors. I, Kalei Hitsuchi, give my personal recognition to this Leaf Shinobi." She stated, taking a few steps back.

Sasuke felt his heart jump. This was strange.

"And in my belief, if under your acceptance, my recognition should mean much. I personally observed him under this punishment and he showed no sign of suspicious activity...no means of any problems to the village. His reinstatement would surely be, in my opinion, a smart idea." She continued, taking a few steps back.

The elders whispered among themselves, making Tsunade nervous and twitchy. After a moment, Kalei turned around and started walking toward Tsunade. She stopped as she reached Tsunade's chair and bowed her head.

"Kalei, is that all the reports?" She asked nervously.

"Yes, Lady Hokage." Kalei replied, her monotone voice returning.

Sasuke glanced at her a couple times while trying to keep his focus directed on the panel of elders. But that wasn't working.

"Very well. If things go as planned, you'll receive proper thanks." Tsunade fidgeted in her chair once more and motion Kalei to step to the other side of her chair, opposite Sasuke.

"Yes, Lady Hokage." She replied once again, following Tsunade's motion.

A few seconds passed, and all the elders gathered the papers together and turned their attention back to Tsunade.

"Alright Tsunade. Tell us your plans." The elder, Bianko, requested.

The corner of Tsunade's lips raised and she nodded. "I will reinstate Sasuke Uchiha into the ANBU Black Ops, where he will work on missions directly related to the ongoing conflict with the Akatsuki. I plan to have him arranged on two squads...one for on-the-field action, and one for information-related missions. Preferably, in most circumstances, I will arrange to have him together with Naruto and Sakura...but as to not disrupt the squads of the other two, there will be a lot of mixing around. I'd also like for him to work a lot with Kalei, as I'm sure you'd prefer yourselves."

Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat. She bit her lip hard, trying not to swear. Naruto swallowed hard and patted Sakura on the back.

"You alright?" He asked curiously. Sakura nodded and kept her eyes on Sasuke's back. He was no longer clenching his fists.

But he was shocked. He narrowed his eyes as his gaze drifted to the floor. This could very well be awkward. But it was the perfect time for him to ask her what had happened over the period of time he was gone. Why was everything so different? Why was she so different?

"We _would _prefer this." Junko mumbled calmly, glancing from Sasuke to Kalei. "Ok, Tsunade...you have permission to go on with this as planned." He grumbled, slightly unhappy with this decision.

Sasuke smirked and Tsunade let out a heavy sigh.

"But do be warned...anymore iffy requests will not be granted Tsunade!" Junko bellowed as the elders started to get up and file out.

"Oh...of course not, Sir Junko." Tsunade chuckled, standing up. She took a few steps toward Junko. "But there is one more thing I'd like to discuss with you and the elders. But preferably...in private." She said, earning a nod from Junko. Tsunade nodded. "Then I'll meet you in the back room in ten." She said once more, and turned to walk back to the group huddling around Sasuke. Shizune had entered the room and was now conversing with Kalei a few feet from the other three.

"Sasuke, this rocks!" Naruto exclaimed happily, hitting Sasuke on the back. Sasuke glared at him, clearly not as thrilled as the knuckle headed blond.

"That was close, you idiot. Too close." Sasuke muttered, cracking his knuckles.

Sakura shrugged. "They just want whats best for the village. You haven't exactly..." Her words faded out as Sasuke now glared at her, waiting for her words. She drew her arm up against her chest, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Haven't exactly what...?" Sasuke asked, his tone threatening.

"Haven't...exactly been good for this village. You've caused problems. That's all I'm saying." She sighed.

Sasuke was ready to snap at her when Tsunade walked up to him, face to face with maybe an inch in between them. Her look was scary, showing him she had something serious to say.

"Look, Uchiha, I really stuck my neck out on the line for you! You better show some gratitude!" She spoke loudly into his face. He met her glare with one of his own, only his eyes were slightly wide.

"Y-yeah." He replied coolly.

Tsunade jabbed her finger at his chest lightly. "I'll get back to you on when your first assignment is. As of now, your headband will be delivered to the Uchiha estate in a day or two. Kalei has some papers you can take with you in the meantime, given you run into some kind of trouble and need proof of your ranking."

Sasuke nodded and Tsunade leaned in a bit more. "You're going to be working under Kalei for your first mission, to give the elders some assurance. And listen up, you screw anything up this time and I swear...personally, if I'm around...I'll see to it you get locked up and signed up for death row. Do you hear me? There's too much going on to take unnecessary chances."

Sasuke gritted his teeth together. What the fuck was she getting at? "Yes, Tsunade." He replied smartly.

"That's _Lady _Tsunade."

He turned his head to see Kalei standing to his right, a not-so-happy look of her own pointed at him. Sakura glared at Kalei from behind everybody else. What was it about that girl that made her so angry?

Kalei held her hand out with a small piece of paper as Tsunade walked over to Shizune.

"And it's Captian Hitsuchi from now on. Gimme' whatcha got, Uchiha." She said, as he reached out to grab the paper in her hand. His eyes met hers and she smirked a bit, sending chills through his body.

See, that was the Kalei he knew. She looked so cold the other day...but when she smiled...it was like nothing had changed.

He smirked back at her. "I call no one Captain."

"You will now." Sakura interrupted, stepping in between them. She was facing Kalei, a big sarcastic smile on her face. Sasuke took a step back as all of a sudden too many people seemed to be crowding into one area.

"He will now." Sakura repeated to Kalei. Kalei rolled her eyes and started to walk toward the door, leaving Sakura with a satisfied feeling. She didn't want Kalei near Sasuke, nor Sasuke near Kalei.

But that didn't mean she was jealous.

Naruto ran up to Kalei at the door and opened it for her, giving her a happy smile. She walked out and Naruto followed after, leaving Sakura and Sasuke in the room alone. Tsunade and Shizune had already preceded to the back room to meet with the elders one last time.

Sakura sighed and turned to Sasuke.

"Well, I guess it's a new start." She muttered lightly, causing Sasuke to nod.

"Speaking of a new start..." His words caught Sakura's attention and her eyes focused on him as he spoke. "Lets start over new. Forget...a year ago...over those few months..."

Sakura felt as though her heart had jumped into her throat. She couldn't find the words to say. But after a moment of awkward silence she nodded.

"Besides missions, we won't see each other much anyway. So, we won't have to deal with it. Don't make it more complicated." He continued, causing Sakura to nod once more. For some reason, she felt numb...rejected.

"S-sure. I don't know what makes you think I still care about you like that, but I don't. I wouldn't have it any other way." She spoke firmly, though she felt like she was trembling.

Sasuke sighed and nodded. "Good."

And he started walking right past her. It felt as though things had just slowed down. But after a moment, she heard the door open and shut behind her.

Now she was alone. In the silence of the room.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe.

She didn't love him anymore...

She didn't...

She didn't.

* * *

His eyes scanned the living room. Everything was the same as it had been. It was slightly cleaner, though. But it felt empty. It didn't have that same calming sensation as it did a year go. Why was that?

He left the living room and walked into the kitchen, turning on the faucet and getting out a cup. He filled it with cold water and shut the faucet off. Everything was quiet and it was about an hour until sunset. He had time to kill...but didn't know what to do. He could go train...but he didn't want to do anything unnecessary that would strain his eyes. His face was already feeling hot and his eyes were tired. He slowly brought the cup up to his lips and the cold feeling of the glass on his skin made him shiver a bit. As he took a small sip, he noticed something on the edge of the counter. It looked like some kind of fabric. It was dark and folded. He set the cup down and walked over to the fabric. His eyes widened.

They were gloves. And they looked familiar...

They were Sakura's gloves.

He groaned a bit, thinking how careless she was. She must have left them here the day she brought him back. And great...was it his job to return them?

Uhhh _no_.

He picked them up and looked at them a bit, thinking about how much she had grown over the first couple of years he had been gone. But thinking about that started to upset him, so he tossed the gloves onto the table in the middle of the kitchen, unfolding them from their neat figure.

He sighed and slowly made his way out of the kitchen and out of the house.

Maybe some fresh air would do him good.

* * *

"And you're not happy? The guy of your dreams comes back and _you're _not happy?"

"He's _not _the guy of my dreams. I mean-uh-yeah, he once was...but...well, you know...he isn't anymore."

"Sakura."

"Save it, Ino. He's such a _jerk_."

"He's just-"

"-A _jerk_."

Sakura and Ino were standing outside of the entrance to a new flower garden by the memorial statue. It had just been finished about two weeks ago and they both wanted to go in and see it. But they had agreed they would only go in there on a special occasion. The flower garden was called the 'Eternity Garden' that was supposed to honor and celebrate the life of the many shinobi that had died in battle. They were going to add more flowers every month for shinobi that had lost their lives or gone missing, so it was planned to keep getting larger and larger. Ino and Sakura decided together that they wouldn't step foot past the large vine-entangled gates until they had something special to go in for. In the middle of the garden, was a beautiful fountain with a memorial statue of the 5th Hokage in the middle. She was on her knee's with her head facing the sky. Her hair was let loose and she had a leaf headband in one hand, and the 1st hokage's necklace in the other. Tsunade had originally opposed the idea of this statue being put here, but the elders had told her that she was leading the village through a rough time, and deserved to be honored in such a way.

So Ino and Sakura were simply staring through the black gates at the path that lead into the flower garden.

When would that special time come for them to see it?

"But Sakura, when he left...you guys were on good terms. Didn't he promise to come back? I mean its _so _romantic...in this time of trouble it's like he's come back to _save _you!" Ino threw her arms up in the air and smiled while Sakura sighed heavily at her remark.

"In the time he was gone...I thought about the person I want to be..." Sakura thought back on the agonizing months he was gone. He had promised to come back to her in a short period. But it was a whole year...and he was so different than he used to be.

This wasn't her fault. It was his.

"Sakura...he's like your prince!" Ino spoke again, obviously imagining some handsome guy riding on a glamorous white horse to a castle to save a beautiful princess. How stupid.

Sakura smirked sadly at her friend. "The fairytale life isn't for me, Ino."

Ino grumbled a bit, her arms returning to her side. "You're so...hopeless."

"No. You're hopeless. I don't want to be like Cinderella. I don't need somebody saving me. I'm done waiting. I'll rescue _myself_." Sakura said, placing her hands on her hips. It was true. She was strong enough to not need anybody there for her.

Ino shrugged. "You just need somebody who's not afraid to show that he loves you."

Sakura nodded, a giggle escaping her lips. "Ino, I'm happy the way I am."

"But...Sasuke-"

"I'll be there for him as long as he'll be there for me. But that's it..." Sakura interrupted, making Ino frown and nod. Clearly, the argument was won.

"So what? Isn't it going to be awkward? You guys will have to see each other eventually..." Ino mumbled calmly. Sakura shook her head.

"Not really."

"Yes really." Ino pushed, causing Sakura to give her a confused look. "Sakura...you guys are both friends with Naruto...and Shikamaru...and all those other people. Think about it...don't forget that."

Forget...

All of a sudden Sakura took in a deep breath, remembering she didn't have her gloves today. She had left them at Sasuke's. No wonder she couldn't find them anywhere at home. How _stupid_ could she get?!

"Damn it...house...Sasuke..." Ino heard bits of what Sakura was mumbling to herself, but couldn't catch it all. All of a sudden, something _else _caught her attention.

"Hey, umm...Sakura. Don't look now but...Sasuke's coming this way. From the right."

Sakura's eyes shot to Ino's, wide and shocked. Great, just the person she now needed to see.

Ino started walking past Sakura, letting out a sarcastic laugh. "Well, bye Sakura!" She waved goodbye as Sakura looked at her dumbfounded. Greeaaat! She was leaving her all alone, and she felt like an idiot with Sasuke walking right past her.

"Hey, Sasuke!" She heard Ino call. As she did, Sakura turned to see Sasuke only a few feet away from her, walking right towards her. His eyes were closed and his hands were in his pockets.

His calm composure...so annoying...

And almost as if he hadn't even seen her, he walked right past her, not even sparing a glance. By this point, Ino was gone, and it was just Sasuke, completely ignoring her...and Sakura...feeling incredibly stupid.

How suckish.

She just stood there listening to his slow footsteps getting farther away. Why did this feel so...weird?

Enough was enough. She slowly turned around to look at him...his back turned away from her. She needed to set this in stone. It needed to be said.

"We have the same friends...we're going to have to see each other eventually..."

He stopped slowly, not bother to turn around and look at her. He was a good distance from her though, and between the space...everything still felt very awkward.

Silence.

She decided to give it another go.

"My gloves are at your place...and you know I'm going to have to pick them up. So tell me how we're going to deal with that." Her voice was firm. To the point.

He stared at the ground for a moment, then turned to face her. Their eyes met instantly, and she could see a look of disappointment on his face.

"I've believed every word you said." His words didn't make sense to Sakura at first. "I believe you...all the way down to the point where you say you don't care about me anymore. So...what's the problem? There's nothing to deal with." He finished. His eyes were cold, making his brooding expression attractive...yet different.

Sakura nodded. "I can...come get them sometime. I don't need them anytime soon."

A moment of silence passed and Sakura watched as Sasuke looked toward the gates to the flower garden.

"It's new." He mumbled quietly.

Sakura cleared her throat. "Y-yeah. It's, uh, a garden for the shinobi in this village. Well, for the ones who have passed away. I've heard it's beautiful inside." She glanced at the gates then back at Sasuke. He was now giving her a look that questioned what she meant by 'she heard'. "Oh, I haven't been in there yet. I'm waiting." She repeated, nodding her head a bit. But he just looked at her...like 'what are you waiting for'? "Umm, for the right time to go in." She finished, now turning her gaze to the gates to avoid Sasuke's brooding stare.

"Right." He grumbled. He started walking away until Sakura's voice stopped him.

"You're happy right?"

He didn't look back at her.

"I mean...since you're working with her." Sakura repeated, voice sounding icy.

_Kalei?_

Sasuke just stared ahead, thinking about that. Was he really happy? What, honestly, was there to be happy about? This place wasn't exactly completely cheerful.

"I just...well, I believe you too." Sakura said loudly, causing Sasuke to smirk to himself a bit. She was clearly talking about his hinting that he didn't have feelings for her anymore. This seemed to be her way of trying to make everything comfortable and okay again.

He started walking again and let out a soft chuckle.

"Don't always believe me. I've lied." He spoke smoothly. Sakura just blinked a couple times. Was he lying about...

"Do you still...care-"

"Not about that." He cut her off, making her lips draw into a tight line.

Of course not.

But then...what was he lying about?

He continued walking and Sakura watched. It seemed she was always left behind watching his back. A small smile drew across her face. Maybe things weren't exactly normal right now...

But atleast they were okay.

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_When It Was Me_


	9. When It Was Me

_Chapter Nine:  
When It Was Me_

_"What makes her your every dream and fantasy?"_

* * *

Sakura sighed heavily as her and Hinata were walking on a street down from Ichiraku. She was dragging her feet annoyingly while Hinata followed slowly behind her.

"Well, for the most part...she seems to be doing a little better." Hinata spoke softly, eyes glued to the street ahead of her. They were talking about the Hokage and Jiraiya...

Sakura shook her head, eyes ahead of her as well. "It's an act. She pretends to be okay so nobody asks her about it. But she's still bummed out. And nobody can blame her. Naruto's the same way. I just wish I could help more...with both of them."

Hinata sped up a bit to walk next to Sakura. She gave her a sympathetic look. "But Sakura, you're doing all you can. Sometimes you can only do so much." She smiled softly and then looked ahead of her. Her long hair swayed back and forth.

"Yeah but I don't want this to be one of those times! I can't let it be!" She spoke more lively, looking up from the ground. She looked at the buildings on her right that broke and ended every once in a while. The alleyways looked cold and empty until you reached the end, where people were bustling all over. She scanned the walls of buildings until she came to the alleyways and took long looks down them at the mothers with children, and the shinobi walking around enjoying their breaks.

Everything looked so normal.

But it wasn't.

"You help them more than you know." Hinata's sincere voice broke into her thoughts and she smiled softly.

_Maybe...but..._

And then they came to an alleyway. As she peered through she seen something a little surprising...Naruto and Kalei standing in the street right outside of Ichiraku. Both of their faces were serious, while Naruto's just look unamused...Kalei's expression looked sad. As always.

Sakura's smiled vanished from her face and she peered down the empty alley, stopping. Hinata stopped as well and glanced down to see the same thing.

"See, Naruto doesn't tell me anything anymore. He tells _her _everything." Sakura replied bitterly. Hinata examined the two conversing in the road. Every once in a while their picture was broken by people who walked in front of them.

"Well...she _is_his everything." Hinata countered, her voice bittersweet. She glanced at Sakura, who's lips were drawing into a tight line, and then glanced back at the couple down the crevice. Kalei wasn't in her usual ANBU uniform. She was in a tight black tank top with long black gloves that went all the way up past her elbows to the base of the shinobi tattoo on her left arm. Along with that she was wearing a short, light blue skirt and black boots that went up to her knee's. Obviously, she was on her day off...probably on a date with Naruto. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail with a light blue ribbon dangling down.

She looked pretty.

And Sakura didn't like that.

She bit her lip and groaned a bit. Hinata sighed and scratched her head. "I didn't mean that actually. I just meant...aren't they having troubles?" She asked sweetly, trying to detour Sakura's annoyance.

But Sakura shrugged sharply and glared at Kalei then looked away. "I don't know. I know that he tries to talk to her all the time. He's so good to her...but it doesn't really seem to help much. She's always such a-"

"Sakura!" Hinata exclaimed, making Sakura jump and look at her. "I don't think Naruto would like you feeling that way about her. You know that!" She continued, raising her arms to her chest. She still had the habit of trying to create a barrier around herself when things got uncomfortable.

Sakura sighed and nodded. "You're right." She turned to look back at the two.

Now Naruto was smiling a bit, and one hand was holding hers across from each other while the other was raised above his head, scratching.

Sakura felt this weird feeling shoot down her spine.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Sakura glanced at Hinata as she spoke. She was smiling sadly at Naruto and Kalei. She hadn't really gotten over Naruto. And if this was weird for Sakura...it must really hurt her. But before Sakura could speak, she heard a male voice from behind her.

"Of course, look at her. She's got baby blue eyes, long silky black hair all down her back-"

Sakura glanced over her shoulder to see Taru standing behind her...eyes closed, a satisfied smirk on his face, with one arm raised as if to hand her the details. She couldn't help but glare at him. "She's even done some acting...and she weighs like a hundred pounds. She's a damn good shinobi too."

Sakura rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her. "So the hell what." She snapped, making Hinata flinch. Taru snickered softly behind her. After she realized she made herself sound like a total fool, she turned her head sharply and gave out a 'hmph'. "Well, I guess that she's all right...if, you know...perfections what you like." She grumbled.

Hinata sighed beside her and Taru shook his head. "You're strange. Disliking her is one thing but...spying on her and Naruto? Can you say jealous?"

Sakura's eyes shot open as he walked in front of her into the alley a bit. He leaned against the wall opposite her as she stormed up to him. "No, I'm not." She spoke fiercly, causing Taru to smirk at her once more.

"I just asked if you could say it. Not if you were."

Her cheeks grew a bright red. _Stop freaking out, Sakura!_

"But, if you're flat out admitting it-"

"Shut up, Taru." She interrupted quietly, biting her lip.

Hinata let out a whimper as she noticed Sakura growing testy. Taru simply smiled at her, enjoying her being flustered.

"Oh relax...relax. Eventually you won't hate her. It just takes time." He replied calmly pulling at the chain on his neck. He was in a short sleeve, white shirt with tan shorts on and his shiny silver chain drooping down his neck.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "I never said I hated her...but if I did...I can hold a grudge for a long time." She said, her eyes piercing his. But he just shook his head and crinkled his nose.

"Naaahh. Look at me...I never liked you when I met you, but I got to know you...and check it out!" His words surprised Sakura, making her eyes grow wide. He leaned in closer to her and faintly said the rest. "I can't hate you anymore."

She just blinked a couple times as his lips slowly curled up. "You...hated...me?" She asked curiously. He pulled back and nodded.

"Long story." He replied simply. He glanced down the alleyway and Sakura's gaze followed. Both Naruto and Kalei were gone now, and here they were...arguing, or whatever...about the two. Sakura looked back and Taru chuckled a bit and ran his hand through his long, messy hair. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

_Why did he hate me?_

"Umm...It's about time I got home. You two will be okay?" Hinata interrupted. Sakura turned and smiled at her.

"Of course. What about you?" She asked. But she wasn't just asking in general. She was talking about Naruto...and Hinata knew that. After a moment, she nodded and turned to walk off, leaving Taru and Sakura standing alone in a cold, empty alleyway.

How not romantic.

Sakura turned to glare at Taru, who now was whistling to himself.

"Why did you come here and praise Kalei? And why are you being so smiley...and _why _did you hate me?" She rattled off the words while he shot her a satiric smile.

"I didn't come here to praise her, I came here to tell you...she's been bumped up in ranks."

Sakura's mouth fell open. Taru's face turned serious.

"Yep. When you told me that the old lady mentioned something about Sasuke 'working under' Kalei...well, turns out she bumped her up to an ANBU Captain, and Sasuke is one of her team members...along with Naruto."

Now she felt as though she had swallowed her tongue.

"Tragic, yes. So unfair. Will you survive?" His mocking tone made her shake her head in disbelief, while her mouth was still open. But she found her tongue again...and her anger.

"Why the _hell _are the teams being so messed with? This is all Sasuke's fault!" She threw both her hands into her hair and tugged a bit. Taru stood up straight and started to walk out of the alleyway. Once he reached the end he turned and looked back at her.

"Calm down." Was all he said.

And then they heard a small 'oomph' from what sounded like a little girl. Taru looked to his right and a look of confusion settled on his face. Actually, it looked more like he was trying not to laugh. Sakura looked at him and then walked out of the alley next to him to see a small girl lying face down on the street. Her arms were splayed out to her sides and her hair was tangled around her head.

Sakura just stared for a second until the girl slowly pushed herself up on her knee's and looked up at the two. The little girl stared at them for a bit, and then gave them a big smile. She had long dark blue hair and dark blue eyes. She was a cute kid and looked a bit familiar...but the dirt on her face didn't help at all.

"Hi!" The little girl exclaimed happily, her voice nasally and cheery. Sakura just raised her eyebrows, surprised that even though the child had just smacked her face to the floor, she was still smiling. She looked about 8 years old, but she wasn't really sure.

The little girl slowly stood up and took a step toward Taru and Sakura.

"Hey. Have a nice trip?" Taru asked casually and cooly, causing Sakura to nudge him with her elbow.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly, smiling. The little girl smiled back and nodded.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She spoke happily again.

Taru chuckled softly to himself. "Because you just face planted-"

"If you're hurt at all, just let me know." Sakura interrupted, her smile growing. The little girl nodded and took another step toward them. Her smile vanished from her face quickly and she looked like she was seriously observing Sakura's face.

The little girl just stared and after a moment Taru leaned down. He opened his eyes real wide and leaned close to Sakura and the girl.

"I know she's ugly but it's impolite to stare." He casually spoke again, as if stating an important fact. This time Sakura slammed her foot down on his, making him yelp and jump back. The little girl giggled and Sakura sighed, frustrated. She turned back to look at the child.

"Are you lost? How old are you?" She asked calmly, ignoring Taru's almost inaudible swearing in the background.

The little girl started twirling in circles. "I'm 7, and no I'm not lost. But thanks, pretty lady." She stopped spinning and bowed her head. She was in a dark pink summer dress that made her look like an innocent kid. Sakura nodded and watched as the girl turned and skipped off.

Wow, strange little kid.

After the girl was aways away, Sakura sighed heavily once more as Taru stumbled over to her.

"Yeah...thanks _pretty lady._ I think you broke my _foot_." Taru mumbled into her ear. He was frowning at her as she ignored him and started to walk away. "Hello?! What, no apology?!" He shouted angrily and she continued to walk off. Once she was far enough away he rolled his eyes and smirked.

Some things never change.

* * *

Taru was walking down the street, back slightly slouched, eyes to the ground. It was a little later and the sun was setting through the grey sky.

It was raining.

He was on his way back to his home after just wandering around the whole day. It was nice to have some time off. He slowly came around a corner and he glanced up once to see where he was going. Much to his surprise, he looked up again to see Sasuke walking toward him almost in the same position as him. Quickly his eyes shot down to the ground once more and they both continued walking at their own pace...their footsteps splashing through the small puddles in the rain.

And after a moment...they lined up and an awkward tension flooded the air. And in less than a second, they had passed eachother. Taru took a deep breathe and continued to walk...

"Taru Shoukei."

Taru stopped slowly as he heard Sasuke speak his name. He slowly opened his eyes, keeping his calm composure. Why did things feel so awkward around Sasuke?

Sasuke was stopped too, body tilted slightly to the side to look behind him at Taru, who's back was facing him completely.

"You and Sakura..." Sasuke voice trailed dangerously, but yet softly, to Taru's ears. He was trying to ask if him and Sakura had...something...going on. Wow, what, did he care? Taru shifted his feet a bit and dropped a foot back so his body was turned a bit to the side. He looked over his shoulder at Sasuke, their eyes meets instantaneously.

"She's a little too good for me..." Taru mumbled with a giant grin on his face.

_Of course her and I are just friends._

Sasuke's eyes widened a bit. Taru's smile faded a bit.

"...like she's a little too good for you." Taru finished, making the corner of Sasuke's lip raise. Taru shrugged and turned around to keep walking in the rain. He didn't really want anymore awkward encounters like that with the Uchiha.

And Sasuke turned around and continued walking himself.

He couldn't help himself.

He had to ask.

* * *

Sakura's drudged her feet through the puddles as she walked aimlessly through the rain. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to go home. So here she was, letting her feet carry her somewhere her mind was unaware of. She let the rain soak her clothes and it sent chills down her spine. She had picked a small sakura branch off a tree by the side of the road, and was twirling it around in her fingers. It made her feel happier for some reason...

And it felt nice to just be in the rain like this...just some time away from all her problems. After all, she needed to think things through. Maybe this would help.

There was just too much to deal with...but her main focus wasn't even the most important problem...it wasn't helping Lady Tsunade.

It was Kalei.

Why the hell was she allowed to become a captain?

Sakura let out an angry breathe and looked ahead of her to see the pond...where she and Sasuke had been so many times. She felt her body go numb and quickly turned her head away. Thinking about him right now wouldn't help...but she still opened her eyes and looked back, thinking about all the times she had spent here with him...

And that's when she seem somebody sitting on the ledge. Over the period of time Sasuke had been gone, they had cemented a ledge around the pond, planning on creating a park near the area. And somebody was sitting on the ledge right in front of her with his or her feet dangling a bit into the water.

Funny how she could have missed the person there.

Sakura continued to walk forward until she noticed who it was. Her heart stopped.

Kalei.

She was just sitting on the ledge, being drowned out by the rain. Her eyes were staring at the water so cold and lost...it was almost depressing. Her hair was pasted to her back and her skirt was sticking to the cement around her.

Sakura swallowed hard and took a few more steps quietly until she stood just a few feet behind and off to the right of Kalei. She never moved her eyes from her.

Why was she out here in the rain?

"If you've come here to argue...I'm really not interested."

Kalei's sardonic tone echoed through the rain, making Sakura feel a sting in her chest.

Kalei's chest slowly moved back and forth, like she was just focusing on breathing. Her eyes watched the ruffling water being pelted by the raindrops, when all of a sudden she seen a sakura branch fall into the water in front of her. Her eyes slowly widened.

"You know, the rain's not so bad...once you get used to it." Sakura uttered delicately. She had tossed the sakura branch into the water, watching it get absorbed by the raindrops. She looked up at the pond, taking in the movement of the waves.

Kalei watched the petals detach one by one. After a while she bit her lip and sighed.

"I guess...congratulations." Sakura spoke again.

Kalei shifted a bit from where she was sitting.

Awkward silence.

"You'll...be working with Sasuke..." Sakura's voice grew softer with the pounding rain. She wanted so bad to warn Kalei about how Sasuke had changed. She wasn't sure what Kalei knew or didn't know...but before she could even make sense of the words in her head...she started speaking. "So I just want you to know-"

"Why don't you ever learn?"

Kalei's harsh tone cut Sakura's words off her lips. Her eyes shot to Kalei immediately, feeling defensive. But Kalei's expression never changed.

"He didn't come back. You brought him here. So, getting close to anyone is the last thing on his mind. And mine. So save your warnings."

And if was almost as if she had hit the nail on the head. Sakura paused, and after a moment slowly nodded. Kalei was right. She actually was.

"And spend a little more time finding your purpose and you'll be right up here with me. Actually, it should be you anyway." Kalei said, a faint smile drifting across her lips. But her eyes never moved from the water. Sakura kept her focus on Kalei, thinking about her words. Was she trying to be encouraging...or what?

Whatever. It just felt so...how did...it all seemed so wrong. Kalei used to be her friend...and now she..._hated _her?

Instantly, her tone grew hostile and she spoke, "Kalei...I just want you to know that I ha-" And that was it. She couldn't even finish the sentence. She wanted to...

At least she thought she did...

But she couldn't.

"Miss Hitsuchi, I found something on the side of the street. Thought it might be yours."

Sakura turned around to see Lady Tsunade and some child standing a few feet behind her. And the child looked familiar...it was that girl...

That little girl from earlier.

Kalei put her hand behind her and leaned back to look at Tsunade and the kid as well. Her eyes widened and she started to look upset.

"I'm sorry, Lady Hokage." Her monotone voice sounded.

Tsunade shrugged and rested her hand on the little girls' shoulder. The child had her head down, eyes closed...and a look of shame engraved on her face. "I'm sorry...big sister..."

Sakura felt a wave of shock grasp her. That girl, no wonder she looked familiar! Kiako! Kiako...Kalei's little sister. Why hadn't she ever seen her before?!

Kalei stood up silently and took a step forward. Sakura was completely caught daydreaming when Kalei thrust her hand in front of her, sakura branch outstretched. Sakura eyed it curiously and then grabbed it gently, wondering why Kalei was giving it to her.

"Something so beautiful should not go to waste." Was her answer. Sakura held the flower as the petals slowly came off, and Kalei walked up to Tsunade and Kiako. She lightly poked Kiako in the forehead and bowed her head in apology to the Hokage.

"Kalei, I'll walk you two home. We need to talk, anyways." Tsunade replied. Her eyes met Sakura's quickly and she gave her a small smile and nod, and then turned to walk off with Kalei and the child. Sakura felt a pang of jealousy rise from her chest once again.

Why did it seem like Kalei was...taking everything from her?

* * *

With his elbows on the rail of the cement balcony, he slouched forward a bit, sighed heavily. His eyes were straight up into the sky, taking in the dark clouds releasing the rain.

_If he's dead...why does he still haunt me?_

Sasuke groaned a bit under his breathe and shifted over to his other elbow. He glanced down to the street way below him, and surprising, seen Sakura walking down it very slowly. She had her eyes on some flower in her hand, never looking up. He could see her basically drenched in the rain. He shifted back onto the other elbow and leaned a bit more into the railing so he could look down better. What was Sakura doing out so late in this kind of weather?

His bangs clung to his face as raindrops slid off his nose. His eyes never left the view of Sakura he had.

_"She's a little too good for me."_

He thought about Taru. He remembered the way he looked at Sakura that day in his house.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that look.

He knew, because at one point, it was the same one he gave Sakura.

_"...like she's a little too good for you."_

He was right.

_But I don't care._

Sasuke kept repeating that in his head, but for some reason...it didn't make any sense. Before he knew it, he was smirking.

_She's a little too good for me...but I'm getting better._

He reached into his pocket...

* * *

Sakura examined the flower in her hand, daydreaming about the past year. Everything was a blur now that she put it together.

All of a sudden she heard a tiny splash as something shot down the view in front of her. She blinked a couple times as she was thrown from her thoughts and looked down at a puddle right in front of her. Naturally, she looked up at the balconies of the building to her side, but they were all empty.

_Oh please...whatever this is...it didn't fall from the sky._

A look of confused settled on her face and she returned her gaze to the puddle. Something was shining in it, so she took a step forward and bent down to grab it.

Once she got a grip of it...it started to look familiar...and she felt her face go pale.

She flipped over the circular emblem...

It was the necklace...

The necklace Sasuke had given her a year ago...and taken away from her just days earlier. The rubies sparkled from the dim streetlight and it made her mouth go dry.

He was up there, wasn't he? Watching over her...

But why did he give her back the necklace?

She felt the emblem over with her fingers, catching her breathe again.

All of a sudden, things felt even more confusing...

But nonetheless...deep inside...

He still could make her everything all right.

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_Maybe It's Still There_


	10. Maybe It's Still There

**Yeah, this chapter got pretty long.  
The next one might be long too.  
Anyway, I hope you like it...  
Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter Ten:  
Maybe It's Still There_

_"Do you want to run away together? I would say it was your best line...ever. Too bad I fell for it."_

* * *

"And you're completely sure about this? There's no way to change your mind? I mean-"

"Shizune, I'm completely sure. There's nothing to worry about-"

"But Lady Tsunade!"

"Shizune!"

Tsunade slammed her fists on the table and stood up, shaking the chair a bit. Shizune, who was standing right in front of her desk with Tonton in her arms, jumped a bit, a wary look on her face. Tsunade sighed wearily, still keeping her angry glare on Shizune.

After a moment, Shizune's look of shock changed to a glare of her own, meeting Tsunade's angry eyes.

"Fine. The necessary preparations are all met. But please, Lady Tsunade...at least take me with you." She said calm, yet icily. Tsunade shook her head fiercely.

"No, Shizune."

"But why?!" Shizune's voice became more pleading, causing Tsunade's brow to furrow tighter.

"Because in my absence, you're to keep everything intact and manage things for me-"

"Liar!"

_That's not what you made me promise you yesterday, Lady Tsunade! You asked me to build it back up!_

Tonton squealed quietly and squirmed a bit in Shizune's tight grasp. Shizune leaned over the desk a bit placing one hand on the desk, the other holding Tonton a little too snug. Her expression was one of anger and desperation, while Tsunade's was one of disgust and appall. But that quickly changed.

"_What _did you just say?" Tsunade snapped loudly. Shizune, feeling a little ashamed and furious, dropped Tonton, who quickly ran over to the door at the back of the room. Even the poor little pig could feel the nasty tension growing.

"I said you're a _liar_! You want me here in case something happens to you...so that I can pick up the village if their Hokage _can't_! You want to leave the _heavy decision _on me! And I can't _do _that alone!" Shizune bellowed, and as she did, Tsunade drew her lips into a tight line, and it was clear she was gritting her teeth hard behind her lips. By her expression, you could tell Shizune had caught her red handed. But that didn't change the fact that Tsunade was ready to drop kick her down to the bottom floor.

"Hey, hey. What's all the yelling about?" Kakashi's voice sounded as he, Gai, Yamato, Kurenai and Anko suddenly appeared in the room. They were standing in a straight line across the room, looking at Shizune and Tsunade. Shizune looked back at Kakashi, and then back to Tsunade. Tsunade's glare was now saying 'shut up or else', so Shizune whimpered a bit, but swallowed her tongue. She could never win a fight with Tsunade.

"We could hear you all the way on the 1st floor." Kurenai replied coolly while Anko nodded beside her.

Tsunade sighed heavily once again and sat down in the chair behind her. Shizune shook her head, displeased by her failure to break through to the Hokage, and walked solemnly to the window behind her. She leaned on her side on the wall, staring out the window. Actually, you couldn't tell, but she was trying not to cry, though her eyes were slowly tearing up.

"Anyway, you called us, Lady Tsunade?" Gai broke into the tension with his cool, youthful voice.

"Yes, I, uh, wanted to inform you of something. Kakashi, you already know." Tsunade's eyes met Kakashi's and he nodded slowly. "Anyway, I'm explaining this to you now, because you're the ones closest to Konoha's youth...and in the next few weeks to come, we'll need them stepping up. Also, you've all worked with Naruto and Sakura on one or more occasions, so I'm going to give you a heads up now." Her words grew serious and grave, making Kurenai feel fidgety.

Gai shot Kakashi a puzzled look and then gazed back at Tsunade, who was tracing circles on a paper with her pencil. Her eyes were now calm as she looked up and met Yamato's eyes.

"I"m going to be leaving on a mission of my own, and in the time being, I want you all to be on your best behavior. Shizune will be here to keep things in check in my place, and Kakashi, you're to help her if she should need it."

Kakashi nodded, his stare moving to Shizune.

Unless he was mistaken, he seen her wipe off the cheek closest to the wall.

"Gai, I want you to assist Iruka with training and fitness with the children at the Academy. Your squad has been off on missions lately and that won't change so it's the perfect thing to keep you busy." Tsunade continued, her gaze moving to Gai. He saluted her sharply and nodded.

"Anko, with the chunin exams at ease, I want you to start taking on S ranked missions. Your skill is going to waste at a time like this."

"Oh yeah! You got it!" Anko exclaimed excitedly. Tsunade looked to Yamato.

"Yamato, continue to work on ANBU missions, but please, take Sai with you. With the Uchiha's return, teams will be splayed out and I don't plan on sending Naruto or Sakura on any missions for a while so you will keep him under your supervision. I've already talked things through with Danzou." Tsunade leaned back in her chair, eyes moving to Kurenai now.

"I'm sure you know how this will go. You'll be working with Kakashi, and you'll keep training your squad. I won't be sending them on any missions just yet. I feel that Hinata's byakugan and Kiba's great sense of smell will be needed if we should get any serious clues to where the Akatsuki are and need to track them down immediately. So for the time being, you're on stand by and will be helping Kakashi help Shizune."

Kurenai bit her lip and nodded. What was the Hokage going to be doing at a time like this?

"Understood?" Tsunade bellowed, causing all of them to nod sharply. "Then all but Kurenai and Kakashi are dismissed!"

And in an instant, all but those two and Shizune disappeared from the room. Tsunade leaned forward in her chair and Kakashi and Kurenai walked up a bit to her desk.

Kurenai glanced at a distressed Shizune, and back to the hokage. "Lady Tsunade, if you don't mind my asking-"

"I don't. But you don't need to ask, because I'm going to tell you." Tsunade interrupted her, startling Kurenai. Tsunade's face turned stoic. "I'm leaving on my own mission to a small village in the Water country. Rumor is Pein and Tobi, also known as Madara, were spotted close to the area not too long ago. I feel I can find one of them there and pay them back."

Kurenai's eyes shot open wide. Sure, she was referring to Jiraiya, wasn't she?

A small, dispirited smile formed from her lips and Tsunade's voice grew fragile. "It's completely different when the loss gets too close to you," She looked up at the ceiling, her eyes forlorn. "I understand exactly how Sasuke feels now. I should have never been so hard on him."

Kurenai's mouth flew open. "But Lady Tsuna-" Immediately, she felt Kakashi's right hand clamp her mouth shut while his left arm was placed firmly on her stomach to hold her in her position. he was right behind her, leaving no space between them. The proximity made her feel edgy and uncomfortable, while her eyes started to burn. Tsunade met Kurenai's gaze.

"I understand. It must still be hard. You miss Asuma, yes...but I leave on this mission with no regrets. And I will have none either. I told Jiraiya I would come after him...and it's better late than never." Tsunade's voice was kept-together, calming Kurenai down a bit. Kakashi slowly lowered his hand from her mouth and rested it on her shoulder while his other hand never moved from her stomach. Shizune looked over to Kurenai, feeling a sting her in chest. At least she wasn't the only one desperate to stop Lady Tsunade.

"Just please...be careful. Don't make me regret letting you go." Kurenai spoke fearfully, causing Tsunade to snicker a bit.

"I'm not worried about you stopping me anyway. In about two months, you'll be in bed rest, giving birth and taking away Shikamaru from my services, including yourself." Tsunade gave Kurenai a smile, but it only made her feel worse. In a time like this, why did she need to be pregnant? Why did Asuma have to go...?

"She'll be just fine, Lady Tsunade. I'll watch over her, Shizune, and the village in your leave. Please, do your best." Kakashi's voice was reassuring, but he felt a distasteful glare from Shizune hit him. But what could he do? If Shizune couldn't stop her, how could he? He removed his hands from Kurenai and stepped to her side, so they were lined up.

"Another thing..." Tsunade swirled her chair around to face Shizune, giving her a serious look. "Do _not_-" She pointed her finger angrily at Shizune, who gave her a look of confusion, and then twirled her chair back around, doing the same thing to Kakashi and Kurenai. "I repeated, do _not _tell Naruto, Sakura...or _any _of their friends I am leaving tomorrow. They will find out in due time, and in the case they do, you leave out all details. Got it?" She spoke threatening, inducing the three of them to nod softly. Tsunade knew that if they found out...they'd try to stop her. And that wasn't what she wanted.

"If you're not going with Shizune though...then who are you going with?" Kurenai asked calmly. Tsunade sighed and reached for a bottle inside her drawer. She pulled it out and shut the drawer harshly. Then she held the bottle of sake to her lips and smiled.

"Somebody who has improved in these last few months to an extent in which I am curious." Was all she said, leaving Kakashi and Kurenai with puzzled looks on their faces.

Shizune, on the other hand, cringed a bit. She looked out the window up into the sky, a look of distress on her face. _This isn't good. This can't end well. _She cursed the Hokage inwardly...

...because she was made to promise Tsunade that she would build things up...not keep them together.

Because they both knew it was all going to fall apart.

* * *

"That's the stupidest trick I've ever seen." Sakura insulted bluntly. Naruto groaned and turned to face her completely. "Learn something new." She spoke again.

"Awww, Sakura...you're so mean! You're just upset you didn't get it." Naruto whined annoyingly.

Naruto and Sakura were sitting at a picnic table with Sasuke by the old park. Sasuke was sitting opposite of Naruto and Sakura, trying to ignore them. But it wasn't working.

"There was nothing to get. It was sort of lame, Naruto."

"I worked really hard on that! The pervy sage taught me like...four months ago!"

"Yeah, and obviously you haven't practiced."

"Have to!"

"Then you clearly need to practice more."

"Whatever! You know what, Sakura! You're just jealous!!"

"Ha! I don't get jealous..."

"Not true."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and put his elbows on the table, leaning into his right one and covering his mouth. He looked off to his right, trying to take his mind off the two arguing in front of him. He then heard a squeal from Naruto and a thud on the table as he accidentally hit is elbow on the side. Sakura sighed and shook her head...and the whole scene only annoyed Sasuke more.

"You don't know anything, Naruto."

"I know things..." He rubbed his elbow as it started to bleed slowly.

"Like how to be annoying."

"Ah! Sakura you're soooo-"

"Shut _up_!" Sasuke shouted sternly into his hand, muffling his words a bit. But you could clearly understand it, and both Naruto and Sakura shot him shocked looks. Sakura then let out a small 'hmph' and turned her head sharply in the other direction like a small child throwing a fit. Naruto groaned a bit at Sakura's reaction and then took a look at his elbow. "Honestly, aren't Naruto and _I _suppose to be fighting?" Sasuke mumbled again.

But Sakura just closed her eyes and pouted a bit, irritating Sasuke to no end. _You're clearly the most stubborn person I have ever met, Sakura._

"_How _old are we?" He spoke into his mouth quietly and sarcastically, yet somehow, Sakura heard. She shot him a dirty glare and he just continued to look away.

"You know, Sasuke...if you didn't want to listen to this, you didn't have to come!" Sakura snapped angrily, making Sasuke shake his head ever so slightly.

"You guys made me come. I said no, but you didn't listen." Sasuke retorted, his words still unclear. And that was the truth...he didn't want to come...but he gave in instead of arguing. It seemed there was enough of that going on that he didn't need to join in.

Sakura grunted. "I can't understand you. Stop talking into your mouth."

Sasuke gritted his teeth together. Damn, she was annoying.

He turned his head and leaned forward on the table in her direction, never removing his elbow from the table surface, or his mouth from his hand. His eyes pierced hers, inducing her to lean forward on her elbow and glare at him as well.

"Can you understand now?" His words were harsh and he enunciated a bit through his fingers so she could hear. She bared her teeth at him...and they were only millimeters away from each other.

"Of course I can understand a bit better now, since you're closer...but you could atleast move your hand so it's clearer. Geez!"

Naruto watched the two, and very quietly seemed to be chanting "stop flirting, please stop flirting, stop flirting, please stop flirting" to himself, clearly bored by the two. Besides, weren't they supposed to _not _like each other? Gosh, even an idiot like him found it so incredibly obvious.

"You couldn't handle me taking my hand down. You can't keep your composure being this close to me without some feeling of a wall between us. I _know _you." Sasuke's words now sounded smug, and against Sakura's control, she started blushing slightly. _That's soooo not true! _Maybe it was just his hoarse voice...or that stupid cocky attitude...

"Not true, you smug bastard!" She insulted angrily. Sasuke was ready to drop his hand and retort, but instead, he, just like Naruto, realized things were getting a little too personal. He sighed softly into his hand and pulled back off to his right again, resuming the position he was in earlier. Sakura gave him a blank stare, but didn't feel victorious. She whipped her head to her right again like a child and tried not to look at him, but she was curious as to why he pulled back. So they resumed to their earlier positions.

Naruto stopped chanting after things grew quiet and sighed, staring at Sakura's back and rubbing his slightly bloody elbow. Sakura, giving into temptation, opened her eyes half way and looked back at Sasuke, never turning her head. She seen his eyes were wider than before, staring at something past Naruto.

_What's he looking at?_

Sakura slowly turned her body toward Naruto and looked back behind them in the direction of Sasuke's gaze to see Kalei walking toward them slowly. Right away, a sour taste filled her mouth and she turned her back toward Kalei, crossing her arms in front of her on the picnic table and closing her eyes. Her expression was clearly a distasteful one, and it didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke, who like Sakura, turned his attention off to the side to avoid looking at Kalei. Naruto, confused, looked behind them as well to see Kalei. Instantly, a smile crossed his face and he waved.

Kalei, face emotionless, just nodded her head backwards, indicating for Naruto to walk over toward her. Obediently, he got up and started to walk over to her, never saying a word to Sasuke or Sakura.

Sakura twisted her eyebrows, feeling Naruto get up and leave. _What a dog..._

* * *

"Hey, you! What's up?" Naruto said with a little more enthusiasm than before. They were a good distance away from the other two, so they would be unable to hear as well. He held his elbow in his hand, giving Kalei a bright smile.

"I just came to tell you I'm leaving on a mission tomorrow, bright and early. So you won't get to see me off." Kalei responded in her usual dull tone. Naruto's face shifted to a frown.

"A mission? Well okay...when will you be back?" Naruto asked sadly, inducing Kalei to shrug. "Mmmm...well I'll be busy with Sasuke for a while anyway so..." Naruto's voice slowly died out as he seen Kalei wrinkle her nose in dismay and steal a glance at Sasuke.

"Yeah, well I shouldn't be gone too long. So, no worries." She replied calmly. Her eyes slowly moved to Naruto's elbow and she seen a tiny smudge of blood on his hand. "You hurt?" A hint of concern crept into her voice, and Naruto chuckled a bit. He removed his hand and shook his arm a bit.

"No big deal. Just stings." His voice was strong, trying to look all big and bad. The corner of Kalei's lips raised a bit and she took hold of his arm, turning it a bit so she could see his elbow.

"Here." She placed three fingers over the wound and chalkra slowly started to emit from them, cleaning up the wound in second. Naruto just watched curiously and laughed a bit.

"Hey, medic-nin. Nice. I almost forgot you could do that." She had healed him a lot after training because Sakura was always working at the hospital or doing something else at the time. It was quite convenient for him but he was always curious as to how she learned such good medic ninjutsu...because actually, she was very skilled...and she knew Kalei couldn't have really trained much with Tsunade considering the state the village was in.

"No big. Catch you later." She flashed him a quick smile while he examined his elbow. She slowly turned around and tried to start walking away when Naruto gently grabbed her upper arm, causing her to stop and look back at him with a slightly startled look on her face.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura weren't talking at all, making Sasuke feel slightly irritated. How come things always felt so awkward around her?

"It's one thing to talk too much, and it's another to not talk at all. Can't you balance the two?" He said sharply, lowering his hand to the table but never moving his gaze from his right.

Sakura's eye twitched angrily and she kept her gaze to the opposite of Sasuke's. "Shut up. I'm listening." She replied just as roughly. It was hard enough to hear their conversation...actually, she couldn't hear a thing. But she was trying.

Sasuke gave out a sarcastic laugh. "Five dollars says you can't even hear."

"Ten dollars says your wrong, and I'm trying to ignore you." _Fuck off, Sasuke!_

"Fifteen says their conversation isn't even _important_." Now he wasn't necessarily aiming his cruel words at Sakura, but at the two slightly to the left of his gaze. Why did he feel so...irritated by them talking all quiet? God, this was just a bad day.

Sakura chuckled menacingly. "Twenty says you're _dying _to hear."

Sasuke ground his teeth together, ignoring that comment.

* * *

"What, no goodbye hug or anything?" Naruto's face turned a slight shade of red while he spoke sweetly and Kalei's eyes widened. Immediately, she bit her lip and looked down to the ground, pulling her arm out of Naruto's grasp.

"Naruto...look, you know kind of...where we stand, right?" Was all she managed, her voice firm, yet emotionless.

Naruto blinked thrice and then looked around him as if examining the area. "Uh yeah, the outskirts of the park?" He responded clueless, making Kalei lose her nervousness. She shot him a look of complete embarrassment, eyes narrowed, nose wrinkled...an insulting look all together.

"Are you stupid?" She asked calmly. He chuckled softly and she sighed heavily. "I mean us. You, me...it's just...you know we're...just friends, right?"

Naruto stopped laughing and gave her a puzzled look. She just nodded, telling him her decision was final. "Y-yeah...I figured. You've been really different lately so...I mean, it was obvious." His voice had lost it's enthusiasm, but in all honesty...it was true. He didn't feel all that let down. She eased her way into this pretty good.

But he couldn't help himself. So he continued...

"Besides, Sasuke's back and-"

Kalei immediately scoffed at his remark. Now she was pissed. "You think this has something to do with Sasuke? It doesn't." She replied quickly. But Naruto matched her just as fast.

"Oh, come on, Kalei. You and I both know you still have feelings for him."

It took her a while to let the words come to her lips, but they found their way. "Just...shut up, okay? You _know _I hate this subject. You _know _I hate him."

And Naruto just held up his hands as if to say, 'sorry', and turned around to walk back to the other two.

Despite being a little upset...she had something she needed to do quickly, and luckily, chance was on her side.

* * *

Sasuke seen Naruto walking back to the table slowly from the corner of his eye and oddly, he heard a weird high pitched sound...like a bell resounding in the air. Slowly, he turned to glance at Kalei and Naruto, and in the moment Naruto had turned, eyes to the ground...Sakura was looking off into space with disgust, and Kalei had caught his eye...in the quickest movement, a shuriken dropped from her black sleeve into her hand. It had a small white piece of paper attached to it, and as she began to turn away, she flung it out to her right in between a gift shop and information booth off to the right of her and Sasuke. It was almost unnoticeable, but Sasuke seen it.

And just locking eyes with her like that made him need to get up and find that shuriken right away. What was on that note?

At that point, she was already walking away, and he narrowed his eyes and watched, forgetting the sound he had heard earlier

Clearly, that note on there was for him, and she had thrown it in between the two buildings a little down the pathway. A perfect place to go grab it unnoticed.

Because clearly something bad had happened between Naruto and Kalei...because Naruto sat heavily onto the bench by Sakura, a scowl on his face and a heavy sigh leaving his mouth.

Sakura glanced at him then to Sasuke, who gave Naruto a snoopy look. So what? He was curious...

Sakura smirked at Sasuke, seeing this as well. Whatever...she'd play the smart ass and give him a witty remark.

"Twenty-five says you want to run after her right now." She sneered, awaiting his clever reply. But just like that...his clever reply had taken her down...and pissed her off to an unbelievable extent.

"I owe you twenty-five." And he got up, didn't even glance at Sakura, and walked past the both of them. Sakura's mouth fell open and she thought her heart had dropped into her stomach, while Naruto didn't much care. It was nothing new to him. He scratched his head and sighed, clearly dreading how things were about to turn out.

* * *

He slowly walked over to the small opening in between the buildings. At the end was a tall, white fence...with a shuriken lodged in the middle. He slowly walked over to it and yanked it out of the fence. He removed the note, unfolded it and read it...with it leaving him curious as ever.

_Tower 6_

_Midnight, sharp._

_Expect company._

And that was it.

"I'm just a messenger with that note. But actually, the reason I threw it in here, was so I could talk to you."

He turned around, eyebrows raised, to see Kalei standing a few feet away from him. The shadows cast from the tall buildings on either side of them made their meeting feel suspicious. Why did he feel like something bad was going to happen here?

"Desperate to see me?" He replied smugly, his face remaining emotionless...but his voice, smooth. Kalei scoffed at that remark and rolled her eyes. She was good at that.

"I'm only telling you that I'm leaving on a mission tomorrow and will be gone a few days. In the case where you should go on a mission, you'll be with a different squad...under a different captain. I wanted to tell you that." Her eyes pierced his and she could feel his dissatisfaction with her words.

"Oh yeah? And who's this captain?"

"Taru Shoukei."

Sasuke's eyes shot open wide and his heart jumped...because it wasn't Kalei who said that. All of a sudden, he felt the presence of somebody behind him, standing on top of the fence. He never looked back, but he knew it was Taru...with his cheery, annoying voice. Sasuke groaned and tightened his jaw. _Damn it..._

Instantly, his presence disappeared from behind Sasuke, and Taru appeared right next to Kalei, a giant grin on his face, making Sasuke sick to his stomach.

"Taru's so generously agreed to serve as your captain in my absence. I picked him because you tend to have a lot of problems with other people. You and him don't know each other...so there should be nothing personal." Kalei said matter-a-factly. Taru and Sasuke met eyes and instantly, the tension started boiling. But while Sasuke glared at him...Taru continued to smirk.

It was funny though...why did Sasuke hate this guy so much already? Did he actually have reason to?

Kalei let out a soft sigh and turned to walk out of the little alleyway, heading to her right. "Behave." She called out.

It felt like _hours _as she turned the corner, leaving Sasuke with Taru. When she was out of view, Taru scratched the back of his head and took a step toward Sasuke. His expression was now calm, not smug. And his defense was down. He got a few feet from Sasuke and held out his hand a bit, signaling for a truce.

"This won't be bad. There's nothing personal." Taru said, giving him a small, sincere smile. And Sasuke gave Taru a smirk of his own.

"She was wrong, there _is _something personal-" And as he spoke those words, his fist collided with the side of Taru's face, sending him back and to the ground. His face was planted into the dirt and as he slowly maneuvered his elbow up to wipe the side of his face, he met Sasuke's eyes...and Sasuke's very satisfied smirk.

_Stupid idiot...don't let your guard down._

"That's for saying Sakura was a little too good for me." His voice was rough...conceited...and made Taru narrow his eyes angrily. He knew saying something like that to Sasuke Uchiha was a bad idea. Bad, bad idea.

But no, that wasn't enough for Sasuke. Why did he feel so...possessive all of a sudden? Either way...he needed to let Taru know who had claim over the Hokage's apprentice. Not that he wanted her...but still. "Sakura's not interested in any guy that can't block a punch. Her standards are set much too high for you. So move on." And just like that...he contradicted himself completely. It was when he spoke those words he felt a mixture of satisfaction...and complete confusion. What the hell was he saying? What did he _really _want?

Taru let out a small, cocky chuckle...and lunged himself up at Sasuke. An eye for an eye.

* * *

Sakura had walked over in the direction of where Kalei was headed, at first hoping to see her to ask her about the whole promotion thing. But once she got up there, she realized it wasn't much of her business, so she was walking back down on the small path by the buildings. Her eyes were glued to the dirt in front of her as she dragged her feet behind her. Things felt so unglued right now...and she wasn't sure how much more of it she could take. She just wanted things to go back to how they were...or get better...or _something_. She finally tore her eyes the dirt and looked up, feeling a weird numbing sensation take over her body as she seen Kalei walking right in front of her. They were only a few feet from the alley Kalei had left Taru and Sasuke alone in.

Kalei's face instantly turned into a nasty glare, brow wrinkling, eyes flaring a bit...and actually Sakura was a bit impressed, and quite amused. It was more emotion than she had seen Kalei with in a long time. But honestly...she wanted to avoid conflict. Not start it...so she felt her stomach go queasy with nervousness.

"Congratulations. Really, you deserve it." Sakura's voice wasn't exactly cheerful or sincere, but it wasn't harsh or cold. It was just a bit void...empty.

But that didn't matter much.

Kalei let out a small, satisfied 'hmph', a snotty smirk appearing on her lips. "It's one thing to _work _with the impossible...and another to _tame _it. You just have to know the difference."

Kalei's words brought back memories to Sakura...of the night she found out how Kalei felt about Sasuke.

_"I won't give up, either, Sakura."_

_Sakura's whole body started shaking._

_"I work best in those kinds of situations. ANBU works with the impossible."_

_Sakura bit her lip._

_"You're clearly not there yet."_

Kalei's words had just as much bite now as they did back then, leaving Sakura angry and flustered.

Kalei, on the other hand, returned to her normal pissed off expression, and started to walk. In a few steps she walked right past Sakura, and made a clear point of hitting her shoulder...hard. Sakura stumbled back a bit, and closed her eyes tightly, biting her lip. She wanted so much to just kick Kalei right now...just to show her how much she disliked her...

And normally, she could control her temper...but now just wasn't one of those times. Kalei took another step, and Sakura turned her body to face her, reaching her arm out. She was about to grab a big handful of her hair and pull her back to deck her in the face, but as her fingers reached within a centimeter of her hair, her body froze...feeling awkward and on edge...like somebody was watching. And she realized she almost made a big mistake, and cursed herself inwardly for being so foolish. She would never stoop down to Kalei's level.

At least...she hoped she wouldn't. So Kalei continued walking and Sakura turned around, a sigh of relief leaving her, she ran her hand through her hair, feeling stressed. She noticed Naruto walking up toward her on the same path...and was instantly pleased with herself for not attacking Kalei. If Naruto would have seen that, it would have been bad.

They were about to meet at the break in between buildings. The alleyway...

Sakura was a foot away from the crevice when all of a sudden Sasuke and Taru flew out from the alley way. She jumped a bit, gasping.

Wow, who expected that?

Both of them landed on the ground, Sasuke pinned underneath Taru, who had a firm grip on the collar of his shirt, trying to shove him into the dirt. Both boys froze and looked up at Sakura. Taru's mouth opened as if to spit out some excuse, while Sasuke only gave her the glare he was giving Taru seconds ago. Naruto was on the other side of the alleyway, staring at the two absent mindedly...eyebrows raised. Even _he _thought this scene looked pathetic.

And Sakura ran her right hand in her hair, leaving it on the side of her head with strands falling astray from her grasp. She didn't really understand why these two were fighting...because it wasn't like they knew each other, did they? And on top of that...what the _hell _were they doing alone in that alleyway anyway?

Screw it, she didn't want to know.

Sasuke's expression relaxed as he noticed Sakura's face. She was staring right at him with the most piteous look he had ever seen. Wow...even _he _felt a pang of shame at that one.

And to make it worse...she payed him back for the smart remark he gave her at the picnic table.

"Taru, if you lie down with dogs...you're going to get fleas."

Naruto's hand flew to his mouth as it fell open and he looked away, shaking his head. Sasuke just deepened his glare to an extreme as Sakura let out a deep breath and turned to her right to walk away.

Taru immediately scrambled to his feet and walked quickly to catch up with Sakura, not saying a word. Sasuke sat up and brushed off his pants, cursing inaudibly to himself. Naruto walked over to his side and held out his hand. He chuckled.

"Ouch?"

Sasuke glared up at him, giving him the hint that this was not funny. At all.

Why?

Because Sakura was really being a bitch.

But still, as Naruto helped Sasuke up and patted him on the shoulder, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder why her remarks were bothering him so much.

There was only one other period of time where her words affected him this much...

And he wasn't about to return to that.

* * *

It was midnight. Sharp.

And Sasuke was at the 6th tower. Just like the note said.

And nobody was here...

The _fuck_. It was hard enough sneaking around guards to avoid suspicion...

He reached the towers just in front of a widespread range of trees and looked up to see a ninja guard lying limply over the edge of a railing on top.

Okay...so somebody _was_ here.

And what the-?! If anybody caught him out here..._he'd _he the one blamed for the damn bodies. God, the thought of him coming out here seemed more stupid every minute.

"Don't _worry_, they're not dead."

Sasuke's gaze shot to the tree's in front of him, and on one branch of a tree straight ahead of him, he seen a familiar figure, twirling a kunai around his finger. Sasuke's tensed body relaxed as he realized who it was.

"Suigetsu."

Suigetsu chuckled as Sasuke took a few more steps toward him. The small light at the tower reflected over Sasuke, but the tall tree's casted light shadows over Suigetsu.

"Hey pal...how ya feeling?" He vocalized carelessly. He stopped twirling the kunai and Sasuke noticed a white piece of paper attached to it.

_What the hell's with all these notes?_

Instantly, he thought back on Kalei and the note she gave him. How did she ever get her hands on that? How did...she know to give it to him? When did Suigetsu give it to her?

"How did you find Kalei?" He asked Suigetsu sharply, inducing a confused look on Suigetsu's face. He tapped the kunai gently on his cheek.

"Kalei...Kalei...oh! That short, black haired ANBU chick. Actually, she found us." He said, pointing the kunai at Sasuke. He grinned at him widely and continued. "Me and Karin were just sitting around the area, trying to find a way to approach you, Juugo's out in the South by our camp...yeah...and last night, she found us. She only asked why we were here...which was crazy because...I thought she'd arrest us or something. And when we said we were here for you...she agreed to give you that little note thing!" He started snickering to himself and positioned his arm that was holding the kunai in a throwing position. "Anyway, here! There's a tag attached to this with some information you might like. Catch!" And he pulled his arm back and thrust it forward...

But being the idiot he was, he noticed his hand was empty. The kunai was gone. And Sasuke was giving him a pathetic look from the ground as a voice resounded through the air.

"Information, huh?"

Suigetsu glanced over his shoulder, and back a ways, up a few branches...was Sakura, holding the sharp end of the kunai up in the air so she could examine the tag in the moonlight. She was fast alright...and had managed to swipe the kunai from him effortlessly. But before she could actually get anything out of it, another kunai whizzed up into the air, catching the ring on the end and pulling it out of Sakura's grasp, up high into the air, where a small explosive tag went off...destroying both kunai. Suigetsu chuckled. "Wow, you're fast, girl."

Sakura grunted and pointed her finger at Suigetsu, a deathly look on her face.

"Why'd you do that?! I thought we were friends!" She shouted sarcastically.

Sasuke just watched the scene above him amusingly. But still...he was curious about Kalei. And Sakura...did she follow him out here?

Suigetsu frowned and put his hands on his hips. "Sasuke doesn't let me have friends." His expression turned pouty and he faced Sakura completely.

Sasuke, hearing that ridiculous comment, rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at Suigetsu, when all of a sudden, Karin appeared beside her and slapped Sakura hard on the back. Sakura lost her balance, leaned forward and started flailing her arms into the air until she fell off the branch, somersaulted in the air, and landed on a branch a little lower than Suigetsu's. She glared back up at Karin.

"I wouldn't call you our _friend._" Karin sneered, placing her hands on her hips as well.

Suigetsu let out a deep breathe and waved his hand at Karin. "The same goes for you, four eyes."

Karin instantly glared daggers at him, and he beamed at her mischievously.

Sasuke listened to them, slightly entertained, until a sharp pain shot through his head, and down his spine. He winced and bit his lip hard, tasting a shot of blood.

_Gotta make this quick..._

As Karin and Suigetsu started arguing over Sakura, Sasuke quickly shouted at them, "Shut up!"

Both of them stopped mid-sentence, and turned to face him. Sakura only gave him a questioning look. Strange how he could go from calm to psycho in seconds.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke asked lancinatingly. Now his eyes were burning...and more than likely, this was only going to get worse.

Suigetsu groaned. "To see if you were okay, and give you that information that Momoiro up there so cleverly stole!" He motioned up at Sakura who blinked a couple times at his comment. Sasuke gave him a dirty scowl, making Suigetsu's lips draw into a tight line.

"Look here, dumb ass...I'm fine, and as soon as I decide to leave...you better get the hell out of here because you're the reason I'm in this place. That doesn't make me happy." Sasuke snarled, making Sakura flinch. For some reason...that comment hurt.

"But for now...consider yourself lucky I'm staying. Now tell me the information that was on that note?"

Karin started twirling her fingers around in her hair. "Uh...we'd love to tell you ,Sasuke...but with that little explosion water boy caused, we're bound to have some people out here quickly. You can't get caught. It's best if we get out of here now."

Sakura jumped onto the branch Suigetsu was on, and he looked at her as if he had forgotten she was here in the first place. "Yo, Momoiro." He waved a hand at her as she turned to face him. _Momoiro? Is this a nickname or something?_

"Come back in two days for the Ikiru festival. You can tell Sasuke what you need to then." She said.

Sasuke's brow furrowed. "Ikiru festival?" _What's this?_

Sakura rolled her eyes and looked back at Sasuke. "Ikiru...to _live_...it's a festival held every two years that honors shinobi that have achieved the ranks of jonin or higher or that have died in battle. I'm sure Lady Tsunade will inform you of it tomorrow." She looked back at Suigetsu. "Come back then...because you're right. It's a possibility somebody spotted that little explosion."

Suigetsu grunted, but nodded in agreement. "Okay. Then, meet here again in two days at midnight!" He shouted over to Sasuke, who nodded, giving him a 'hn' in reply. Sakura then jumped off the branch to the ground by Sasuke, and Karin jumped down by Suigetsu.

Suigetsu grinned mischievously at Sasuke, causing his eyes to widen.

"If I had to pick between the two, I'd definitely pick Momoiro!" Suigetsu shouted, pointing at Sakura. She blushed slightly and looked away while Sasuke just stared at Suigetsu, giving him a look that clearly stated Suigetsu was an idiot.

_Momoiro...that means pink._What the hell was wrong with her name? "Sakura, you are now Momoiro!" Suigetsu chuckled out once more, making Sakura shake her head and start walking away. "Sweet! See you later then!" He called again, and he and Karin disappeared.

Once Sakura had walked up to Sasuke, she sighed and he gave her a suspicious look. She returned his look with a blank one of her own.

Silence.

"Did you follow me out here?" He hissed angrily. Sakura sighed.

"I wouldn't call it following. Something felt suspicious so I came out here and found you. It was an accident." She flipped her hair back and Sasuke rolled his eyes, unsatisfied with her answer. He started walking past her, making her slightly annoyed.

"You know, if _I _had to pick between the two, I'd pick Kalei." He shouted back to Sakura irritably, referring to Suigetsu's comment moments ago. He just wanted to piss her off. It was more entertaining this way.

Sakura felt her skin crawl at his remark. Clearly, he was paying her back for her comment earlier...trying to be an ass.

She ran to catch up to him and once she fell into step with him she said, "I'm sure you _would_." Her voice was testy, and she kept her menacing glare ahead of her, while Sasuke looked off to his left, examining the area around them as they walked back to the village.

Silence.

More silence.

After what felt like five minutes of awkward tension, Sasuke sighed and chortled to himself. "Just kidding. I wouldn't pick either." He kept his gaze off to the left and Sakura let out a deep, aggravated sigh.

_Whatever! Do you have to be such a jerk all the freaking time?!_

"You know what, Sasuke. It doesn't matter...Kalei's amazing anyway, right?" She took a step right in front of him, facining him and making him stop walking and look at her with a shocked expression on his face. Her words were fiery and loud and he wasn't expecting an outburst like that randomly. He just looked at her for a moment and then looked up into the sky. The stars were clear and visible, illuminating the dark blue void. Sakura groaned and looked up for a moment too. She felt a weird numbness creep over her and closed her eyes before she could see a shooting star.

_No point in wishing._

"Why do you do that?"

She opened her eyes and looked back at Sasuke, who was giving her a little smirk.

"Do what?" She hissed, still touchy with him.

He nodded his head up to the sky. "Close your eyes."

Her eyes widened a bit, surprised he noticed that. But she snapped back quickly and let out a 'che', glaring at him once more. "Don't change the subject. She's perfect, isn't she?" She snarled once more.

After a moment, Sasuke shrugged, smirk leaving his face. Now it was just emotionless.

For some reason, memories of the night he seen Sakura a year ago for the first time came back to him. He started to feel a warm sensation in his chest, and the pain waves flowing through his head were slowly easing. It was strange...why was the pain going away?

"Jealous, aren't you?" He asked sincerely, making her bare her teeth at him. The temper was rising.

"I am _not _jealous. Just...forget it. If you think I still care about _you_...or _her_...or _you _and _her...together_, you're completely wrong!" She barked indignantly, waving her hand across her body. She turned on her heel and started to storm off when she heard a sarcastic laugh from behind her.

"Yeah _right_. You are one sad liar."

She turned around and just blinked, half unable to believe he just said that. Was he honestly doubting her words? "_What_?" She hissed, quietly.

Sasuke nodded. "You heard me. You _suck_ at lying. You're a _liar_."

She bit her lip and ran her hand down her face. "I'm a liar? _You're_ a liar. And you're stupid. And I'm serious. I don't care about you in that way. I haven't for a long time. You could have stayed gone. I never asked you to come back." Now even she knew that it was all just angry, unimportant rambling. She was just upset with him, and all at once, it felt like this was the time she could just randomly yell.

Now Sasuke's sarcastic laughter grew to an audible octave. He tilted his head back and nodded, not believing a word leaving her mouth. "You never asked me to, but I bet you wished it." He nodded his head up to the sky, indicating the idea of making a wish on a wishing star.

Sakura's brow creased in disbelief. Obviously, they were hitting each others touchy subjects. "I don't wish at 11:11. I don't throw pennies into wishing wells. And I most _definitely _don't wish on shooting stars."

Sasuke controlled his soft laughter and crackled his knuckles. "Of course not. You don't have to anymore. I'm here already."

Now she laughed herself at his stupid remark. _Conceited much? _"No, Sasuke. It's still like you're not here."

He nodded, wrinkling his nose a bit. "I guess. So then, you're still missing me?" Wow, he had a knack for being a sarcastic bastard. He took a step forward.

_That's it!! That's enough!!_

"Ahhh!" Sakura just shouted randomly into the chilling night air, clenching her fists at her side. He was getting her all flustered on purpose and she couldn't even realize it. She closed her eyes tightly, tilted her head down a bit, and ground her teeth together.

"I'm _not_ missing you at _all_-"

Her shout died down at 'all' as she gasped and felt Sasuke's arms wrap around her, one positioned under her butt, making her feel like she was sitting on his arm, and the other on her lower back, picking her up in the air. He was tilted a bit back, so she leaned into him, and there was only a small amount of space in between their faces. Her feet were dangling now, her hands were resting on his shoulders, elbows slightly bent...and she was staring down at his shadowy face, straight into his eyes. She felt a blush sweep across her cheeks, and Sasuke noticed too, making his eyes widen a bit. They could feel each other's breath fanning across their faces. Sakura was set in shock, her sense's failing her.

He wasn't sure what enticed him to pick her up, but the feeling of having her in his arms felt familiar...and he liked it. Which was strange and disturbing because he was trying so hard to push the past away...

At this proximity she knew she could throw away all she worked for by saying a few stupid words, so she tried to protect herself by saying, "...No matter what I might say...I'm not missing you at all..." Her words were soft and quiet...like a whisper. But she was getting off to a good start.

The sound of crickets was now audible in the area, and Sasuke could feel Sakura breathing against his chest.

"Not at all?" He whispered back.

Sakura swallowed hard and nodded her head softly, blush increasing as she started to feel Sasuke's firm grip on her back. His fingers on his right hand gently brushed the skin on her upper leg, giving her goosebumps.

"I...I don't think about you ever..." She whispered again, her voice high. Sasuke's chest started to feel warm again as her hair fell in front of her face and tickled his skin a bit. He could smell the cherry scent on her.

"I don't think about you either." He whispered once again, making her mouth go dry. Nervousness. Her pulse started racing. This was the closest she had been with him in a long time...where she actually really didn't want to move. The warmth from his body wrapped around her, and she could smell his scent all over.

She let out a heavy breathe, her lips parting slightly, trying to say something, but nothing came out. Sasuke noticed this, and loosened his grip just a bit so her body lowered on his, and her face came closer. She closed her eyes and spoke again. "I...don't...like being around you..." The whisper was so faint you could barely hear it. She opened her eyes once again and met his. They were so mysterious and entrancing...she missed them so much...

_The eyes that held eternity._

"I don't like being around you either." He whispered back, a very small smirk forming from his lips. And as if it couldn't get any worse, Sakura's blush increased and her grip on his shoulders tightened.

But suddenly, his grip loosened and he set her down on the ground. She instantly pulled her arms back to her side and let out a deep breathe, looking up at him with wide eyes.

_This didn't just happen. Sasuke didn't just..._

"Sasu...ke-"

"Just forget about it. It didn't happen." He replied in his monotone voice, shoving his hands into the pockets of his baggy white shorts. He closed his eyes and walked past Sakura, his shoulder gently brushing hers. She regained a bit of her sanity and turned around slowly as he said, "It didn't mean anything."

His voice was soft...unlike any tone she had heard him use these past couple of days.

Her voice was hesitant and shaky. "It didn't?"

Silence.

Actually...it was only now that he had come to realize it...

And then it all slipped into a feeling of slow motion as he kept walking, looked over his shoulder and smiled at her...making her knee's go weak.

"Of course it did."

For the first time in quite a long time...her breathe lodged in her throat, and she wanted to run up and embrace him. But her feet felt pinned to the ground and she just stared at him as he looked forward again and kept walking.

_"Say...'I love you.'"_

Sakura's eyes started burning as all his words starting coming back to her...

_"So what...will you try and forget me...?"_

_"Right now...with you...I'm calm. Almost...happy..."_

_"Promise me...that you'll wait for me. And if you will, after I find Itachi...I'll come back to Konoha. Back to you." _

Everything...everything seems so fragile when you take a step back and really look at it. She wanted to go back to that...back to the way things were a year ago. Did she really take it all for granted?

_"That's why I...push you away...and...sometimes get close."_

_"I don't want you to wait for me forever. Show me forever exists. Just love me forever."_

_"Sakura...I'm right here. Right now. Holding you. Isn't this what you've always wanted?"_

_"I told you I'd be coming back...didn't I?"_

_"If my promise keeps tormenting you like this...then yes."_

She slowly raised her hands up and covered her face as she felt tears run down her cheeks. How did she really feel? She loved him...right? No...she was suppose to despise him...but she didn't. Did...he still love her? Or...or...what?

It was all too much. She quickly wiped away the tears, took a deep breathe...and started to walk back to the village. Thing would all make sense in due time...but still...she couldn't stop the memories from flooding back. How could everything change like this? When did she stop believing?

_"Sakura, I'm asking you because I want to come back. If I leave without permission, I'll be rendered a missing-nin again...and she won't be so forgiving the next time. We both know that."_

No...she never stopped believing. She never stopped loving him.

It was never over.

_"I love you...Sakura."_

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_When Darkness Turns To Light_


	11. When Darkness Turns To Light

**Sasuke OOC...like, much.  
Sorry...I tried not to but it can't be helped.  
I'm trying to portray him as really trying to change his ways.  
Also, this is pretty long as well...haha!  
I hope everyone enjoys this.**

But...future warning...  
.:this will get angsty down the line:.

**...And super thanks to everyone who reviews and still reads...  
Even though I'm super late on updating. :(  
Keep being nice and supporting me!  
:)**

_

* * *

_

Chapter Eleven:  
When Darkness Turns To Light

"She only saw the shadow of my circumstance. Perception can describe what makes a man."

* * *

Tap. Tap. Tap.

His eyes were closed, but he was not asleep. His hair was sprawled all over the pillow...he had a gray tank top on and long baggy black shorts. He was groggy and tired...

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Sasuke listened to the tapping on his window and slowly lifted his upper body up by his hands, looking over. He seen a black bird tapping on the glass with a note attached to its left foot. He stared at it for a bit and then grunted.

_It's 5:30 in the morning...what the hell?_

The bird kept tapping until Sasuke sighed and slowly got out of the bed. He shuffled over to the window and opened it, allowing the bird to hop in and turn itself so the foot with the note attached to it was closest to Sasuke. He slowly undid the note and the bird hopped out the window again and took off. Sasuke just watched it fly away, scratching his head.

The sun was just coming up, leaving the sky dark still besides the small horizon.

He wasn't really upset that the bird came. He wasn't sleeping anyway. He maybe managed to get 4 hours of sleep last night. He just couldn't stop thinking about the past few days...and last night. With Sakura.

Was it really going to be like this between them? So awkward...nothing between them...it just didn't feel right.

_Whatever_.

He shook his head and unrolled the note, rubbing his eye with the other hand. He scanned it over in the dark and his eyes widened a bit.

_Meet me at the infirmary._

_Room 739 A_

_Lady Tsunade_

He sighed and rolled it back up, tossing it into the garbage can by his dresser. As he did, his eyes ran over the dresser...seeing a picture frame lying face down. He recognized it...

It was the picture of Team 7 he had turned over the night he left. He never really made a point of flipping it back over...actually, he never really took the time to look at it. But now, he felt slightly attracted to it. His feet walked him over in front of the dresser and he rested his hand over the back of the frame, feeling a stitch of guilt come to him. He slowly flipped it over and his eyes widened as the picture came into view. He remembered that day...the day they took that picture...those times...

Then something else caught his eye. One the edge of the same dresser...

Was a headband, neatly folded with a note on it...

His pulse started racing right away...and he started to feel more awake. He made his way over there and read the note. It was from Naruto...

_He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled something out._

_A confused look crowded Naruto's face as Sasuke pulled out his Konoha headband. Sasuke ran his eyes over it and then held it out to Naruto, who's eyes shot open wide instantaneously._

_"Take it. Keep it until I return." Sasuke said, his face expressionless. Naruto glanced from Sasuke to the headband, and slowly took hold of it._

_"Then I can become a shinobi here upon return." Sasuke finished, the corner of his lips raising slightly. Naruto blinked thrice._

_"You don't want it?" He asked, bewildered._

_Sasuke shook his head. "I could lose it. If I keep it here...I know I won't. I'll always have it to return to."_

Sasuke sighed heavily as he read the words on the note...

Stupid Naruto...

_"Lets make it official!" _Followed by a stupid little smiley face on the end.

Sasuke smiled unconsciously a bit and crumpled the note up, throwing it into the garbage as well. He picked up the headband, took a long look at it, and put it into his shorts pocket.

For some reason...he had been here for about a week and was already feeling everything he felt the day he left here and promised to return. There was so many things he wanted to tell Sakura...and so many things he wanted to say to Naruto...so many feelings...everything just melted together, making it hard for him to find the words.

But he would...he had no choice.

He slowly made his way downstairs, took a quick shower, and made his way to the infirmary.

* * *

He walked down the white hallways, his feet dragging. The sleepiness was kicking in.

He was at the end of the hallway in front of the room he was to meet Tsunade in. The door was slightly cracked open and he peered inside...

Instantly, he placed his hand firmly on the door and his face twisted into a confused expression. Lady Tsunade was sitting on top of a desk facing a piece of paper to her right. She was just staring down at it, pen in her hand...

...tears in her eyes.

She looked like she was crying. All alone.

Sasuke didn't really know what to do or what was going on...and he felt like he was spying or something...

...so he opened the door quietly and slowly. "What's up?" His soft, calm voice shocked Tsunade, making her head shoot up, eyes wide, and a tear fall down her cheek. She looked over at Sasuke, have in shock still and took a deep breath. As soon as she realized she was crying, she brought her hand up and wiped away the tear with the back of her hand.

Sasuke felt his body tense up. Sure, she was crying over Jiraiya, huh? It made sense...it's not like she was over it yet or anything.

"Sasuke Uchiha...I wasn't expecting you to be here on time. I thought you'd still be sleeping." She recovered, removing the last trace of tears from her cheeks. She gave him a half-hearted smile.

Sasuke didn't know whether to smile or frown, so his face stayed emotionless. "I'm not like Naruto." _I get up on time._

Their eyes met and suddenly Sasuke felt a feeling of sorrow and nervousness take over. Tsunade's eyes looked so sad...and seemed to say 'please help me'. But Sasuke didn't know what to do. He'd never really seen her like this.

"Of course not. Go, have a seat." She pointed her pen at a metal table to Sasuke's right. He glanced at it and then obeyed her, walking over to it slowly.

"I'm here for what, exactly?"

Tsunade started scribbling some things down on the paper. "A check up."

Sasuke sat down on the examination table, feeling the cold metal through his baggy black shorts. He felt goosebumps crawl onto his skin and shuddered a bit. "Check up." He repeated quietly.

Tsunade nodded, scribbling a few more things. "Sakura told me you had some weird episode's of pain related to your eyes. Is that right?"

His thoughts drifted to Sakura...and last night. Right away, he felt something in his throat tighten.

"Yes."

Tsunade jumped off the desk and put the pen down. She cracked her knuckles and started to walk over to Sasuke. He watched her carefully until she stood right in front of him.

"Okay, tell me what kind of symptoms do you experience when you have these attacks?"

His nose wrinkled. _Symptoms...symptoms..._

"Usually starts with my eyes...but not always. Burning, blurry vision...headache...it moves to my neck. My body feel numb-"

"Severe exhaustion, sometimes followed by falling unconscious?"

He nodded.

Tsunade brought her hands up in front of her and a pink looking chalkra started to flood through them. Sasuke's eyes widened. _That's strange. Chalkra doesn't normally look like that..._

"It's like an examining type of chalkra. I'll run it through your eyes and tissues in the brain and see what kind of physical damage we can come up with. It won't hurt...maybe actually feel good." She smiled at him and instantly he felt a strange feeling of awkwardness crowd the room. Tsunade was never this nice to him. Ever. He thought she disliked him...so...why was she being so nice all of a sudden?

She slowly placed her first three fingers right on his temples and the chalkra started flooding into his skin.

"Try to removed all stressful thoughts...anything that might add strain. Think of something calming or peaceful." Tsunade mumbled, increasing chalkra flow to her hands. Sasuke stared at the ground in front of him. There wasn't much space between him and Tsunade, so he kept his eyesight straight down. He took a deep breathe and started to wipe away any unpleasant thoughts.

He felt a warm feeling on his skin and he started to feel a bit lightheaded

_Something calming...or peaceful..._

Once again, his thoughts brought him back to last night.

_Sakura..._

Holding her in his arms...

"Alright!"

_Well that was damn fast._

Tsunade's lively voice broke into his thoughts and he looked up at her as she slowly removed her hands from his head, held them in front of her, and started pouring blue chalkra into them. "From what I could tell, you have a major strain on your eyes, making use of the sharingan difficult. There's also some tissue damage around the back of the eye and some down by your spine. Also, I felt a presence of foreign chalkra in your system...but that should slowly go away with time. I assume, Itachi's?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed right away and a scowl took over his face. That damn bastard...

A result of the fight, apparently.

"I can heal the physical stuff for you...which should help you, but really...most of your episodes are psychological...meaning stressful or unpleasant thoughts trigger the physical strain. Do you understand?"

_Psychological?_Sure...like those weird dreams he had every so often...or all the serious thought about Madara and everything else...

It made sense.

"The good news is...with the physical treatment, the episodes will come less often, but until you learn to stop yourself from straining your psyche, they won't go away completely. The bad news...even if you take preventive measures...you'll still have some episodes for a period of time...and though there will be less...they will be more painful. A big difference is, you shouldn't get such a throbbing headache, and it shouldn't be all that difficult to activate your sharingan...but there will be other side effects in return."

Sasuke just listened to her and sighed, nodding his head.

"Okay, then I need you to relax and clear your head. Close your eyes and take deep breathes. This should only take a few minutes." Tsunade brought her hands up by Sasuke's head as he closed his eyes and tilted his head down. Tsunade noticed his tensed shoulders. "Relax." She repeated. But his shoulders never relaxed, and she lightly struck him on the shoulder with the side of her hand, causing his shoulder to relax. He groaned a bit, feeling the chalkra on contact. She then brought her hands back up and rested her palms on the sides of his head.

He felt his chest moving slowly and he focused on nothing but the black behind his eyelids.

It felt like minutes had passed before either of them said a word.

"I never really understood." Tsunade muttered quietly, catching Sasuke off guard. He kept his eyes closed, but listened to her words. "I...I never understood how you could walk away from the village like you did. I was sure I was so resentful of you for that. But now...I understand."

He felt a heavy feeling fill his chest. Her voice was so sad now...

"I'm leaving on a mission after this and I'm going to do all I can to avenge Jiraiya's death."

Instantly his eyes shot open and he felt a chill run through his spine.

That was blunt.

He slowly felt Tsunade run her fingers down her neck, chalkra flowing into his skin. He took a deep breathe as the warm sensation came back.

Tsunade laughed quietly, causing Sasuke to look up at her and give her a confused look.

"I know it's none of my business but...that went better as planned. Can I ask what kind of happy thought you were thinking about?" Her smile grew and instantly Sasuke knew what she was getting at. He bit his lip and scowled at her, showing her that she was right.

He was thinking about Sakura. In the back of his mind...

Tsunade ran her hand down until she reached his shoulders and the chalkra stopped flowing. It was then when something caught her eye.

The curse mark on his shoulder.

She stared at it. Sasuke noticed this and slowly brought his hand up to his shoulder. He knew what she was looking at...and he probably knew why...

The seal around the mark was faded...and it was weaker. He had released the power behind the seal so many times he was surprised it even held. He often forgot he even had it...and so much of his power came from that curse mark that if that seal were to be reinforced...it was a possibility he would lose the power he had obtained over the years.

Tsunade's eyes widened and her expression was thoughtful. Sasuke glanced at her eyes and looked away. For some reason...he only felt shame now as she stared at that mark. It was a sign of his rebellion...showing the darker side of him.

The side that maybe...just maybe...he wanted to put behind him?...

_Madara._

What did he want?

Tsunade softly cleared her throat, jolting Sasuke from his thoughts. Sasuke grabbed onto the strip of material on his shoulder and pulled it slightly, making the curse mark fully visible.

"I don't mean this in any way...to be offensive...but you know, that curse mark probably doesn't help your episodes-and I know... it's not my place to even offer..." Tsunade scratched her head and smiled at him, closing her eyes. He just stared up at her...expression dazed. "But if it were to give you trouble...I could always renew the seal...like strengthen it. But that's up to you...I understand it would possibly make you weaker...and it's probably become a big part of you...it could make you feel like you were chained to the village and all so-"

"Do it."

Tsunade opened her eyes slowly, smile melting off her face. She lowered her hand and she seen him staring at the floor. It was written all over his face that this was a hard decision for him.

"Eh...excuse me?" She mumbled, dumbfound.

His words was firm...but his tone, not so much. "I said, do it." He pulled the tank top down a bit more and looked up at her. "The seal. I want you to make it stronger than it was the first time." His eyes were the only thing even slightly persuading her.

_This is a big decision Uchiha. Nobody can make it for you..._

Tsunade blinked a couple times and nodded, quickly forming hand seals. She ran over the chant in her head and focused on the curse mark. She glanced at Sasuke one last time.

"You're sure?"

He looked off to the right...and for some reason...his expression looked hurt. It was strange.

"Yeah, I'm sure." His voice seemed a little shaky.

Tsunade frowned. "Sasu-"

"I know I'm as sure as I'll ever be...and like you said, it shows I'm chained to the village." He looked back at Tsunade, and her eyes widened.

_Maybe...I'll regret this...the way I see it...is if I do this...I'll regret it...but if I don't..._

_I'll regret it even more._

"And I think right now, this is where I have to be." He finished, making Tsunade smile after a moment. She slowly rested her hands on his shoulder and chanted something quietly. A quick pain shot through his shoulder and he bit his lip harshly to hold back the curse's he wanted to spit out . His body tensed up and he felt himself trembling slightly under the pain coursing through his shoulder.

After a moment or two, with one more quick shot of pain, Tsunade removed her hands and Sasuke shook out his arm, breathing heavily. He glanced over at his shoulder and seen the seal...darker and closer to the curse mark...like the hold was tighter. He felt a tingling sensation run over his body and his breathing became heavier.

"It's done. How do you feel?"

He coughed a couple times and looked up at Tsunade...a weary expression spreading over his visage.

She laughed a bit under her breathe and then snapped her fingers as she suddenly remembered something. "Oh yeah!" She turned around on her heel and Sasuke watched her walk over to the desk and looked around it. "I thought I had one in here some where...I thought..." She started mumbling to herself.

"One what?" He asked curiously.

Tsunade never looked up. "A Konoha headband. You need it for the Ikiru festival tomorrow...the ceremony. I think I gave you one last year but...I'm sure you mis-"

He sighed hesitantly. "I have it."

Tsunade stopped searching the desk and looked up at him. Eyes wide.

_What, that such a surprise?_

All of a sudden, Sasuke heard a soft gasp from behind him. His head perked up and he straightened his back, looking behind him.

His eyes widened surprisingly as he seen Kalei standing in the doorway, eyes just as wide as his own. Her expression was curious and disbelieving.

_How long has she been standing here?_

His eyes slowly relaxed. He didn't blame her for being surprised at knowing he still had that headband. It was her that thought he was never going to come home...that all his promises were pointless. It was her who never believed.

Tsunade glanced at Kalei. "I'm ready. Give me just a sec." She looked back at Sasuke, whose head shot back to look at Tsunade, strange expression.

_What? Kalei's going with Tsunade? Does Sakura know?_

"Well, that's good you have the headband, Uchiha." She brushed off her arms and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Saves me trouble. Now, take it easy, okay? Tomorrow...bright and early...you need to be at my office for the presentation of ranks. Don't be late! And...make sure Naruto gets there too." She turned around and pushed a stack of papers over to the other end of the desk. "So...you're dismissed."

After a moment of letting her words sink in, Sasuke slowly stood up and turned toward the door. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He muttered before walking toward the door. Tsunade never looked back, but a small smirk crossed her lips.

_That leaves a lot open, doesn't it?_

Sasuke closed his eyes and walked toward the door, causing Kalei to unconsciously slide over a bit, still in the doorway. Her eyes watched him as he continued walking...but her expression was tired and sorrowful...and her brow was furrowed tightly.

As Sasuke walked past her, her eyes shot in the opposite direction as he stayed closed. "Please be careful." He whispered as he brushed past her. Her eyes widened and she bit her tongue to stop her from saying anything she might regret later on. She shuddered as she listened to his footsteps down the hallway.

_Was I wrong about you? Did you really mean everything you said back then? Did...did you want to come back here? Did you want...to come back home? ...Sasuke..._

What the hell was she doing?!

She turned around sharply, mouth half open ready to say something...when she noticed he was gone.

She felt a burning pain rush into her chest and she grabbed the fabric on her uniform tightly with her left hand. She ground her teeth together to stop herself from getting too angry.

Maybe this was a bad idea...

Could she stop now?

She glanced over her shoulder at Tsunade...doubt racing through her head...

Until one memory came to mind...

-

_"Don't let your tears fall on wasted hopes. Forgetting that he exists...you will come to realize yourself. Your struggle against power is the same as your struggle of memory against forgetting. This girl...when she is trying to do something beyond her known powers, it is useless to seek the approval of those closest to her. The ones that love her are at their best in moments of defeat. Haven't you realized? You hate him because you hate something in him that is a part of yourself. _

_-_

_He failed. But you will not."_

-

She sighed and looked down at the floor. It was a feeling of antipathy and guilt that plagued her notions.

But she knew not what to make of it.

* * *

The sky was sullen and obscure, the air, glacial and stifling. She didn't know when or how things got this complicated. Everything seemed so depressing...and it ripped through her touchstones like a cuspated shard of glass. Part of her wanted to give up...lie down...close her eyes...and damn it all to hell. The other part of her was slightly interested as to how things would turn out. But just slightly. Really...the overwhelming sense of revulsion and grief tormented her. It wasn't like her to feel like this. But she did...

Sakura gripped the chains tighter, never removing her eyes from the tiny, dirt covered pebbles beneath her feet. She was sitting on a swing in the Academy Park, just atop a small hill. Her arms were up, hands clinging to the rusty chains on either side of her figure. She was in her black cloak. The blanket of dark gray clouds above her created a chilling atmosphere...and she could sense the coming of rain.

This only intensified her gloominess.

She didn't know if she should be happy or upset about the other night...what happened with Sasuke.

She didn't know what she wanted anymore. It was rather scary. Everything was so...unlike her now...nothing made sense.

Why did it seem like it was all going wrong?

She was dazed off in her thoughts as somebody jumped through the swing next to her and sat down, assuming the same position as her.

"Not still mad at me, are ya?" Taru posed queerly. He looked over his shoulder at her, noticing her dull countenance. He kicked at the rock below his swing a bit, adding noise to the benumbed silence.

Sakura shook her head and wrinkled her nose a bit. "I wasn't mad. Your business is your business. I don't care _why_ you two were alone in that alleyway..." Taru knew her words were only mere ridicule pointed at him...nothing to take seriously...but her tone was sharp. She was bothered by something, though it wasn't him.

Taru moaned a bit to himself and shook his head vigorously, tousling his dark, silky hair. He kicked at the pebbles a bit more until he felt his swing jerk toward Sakura.

Naruto had walked up in between the swings, linking his arms between the two and grabbing onto them. He slowly let himself slouch down a bit, holding himself up by them.

Sakura glanced up at him from the corner of his eye. He, too, had a look like Sakura's.

"I can't tell. I've been trying to figure it out, really. But Sasuke..." His aseptic voice died out and he puffed out his cheeks, searching for the right words. "I left him his headband. I just don't know if he's really going to follow through with everything he said. To him...being here as a shinobi is probably like locking him in a cell with no food or water. I can't tell if we should believe him. Who knows if he's serious?"

His words bit at Sakura's subconscious and she looked away, gnawing at her lower lip, making the flesh raw.

_It's Sasuke...you can never tell. _She accidently bit down and pierced through a small piece of skin, causing her to jump a bit. She sucked on the lip, tasting the metallic blood slowly surface from her flesh.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, right?" Taru chimed in a bit more lively than the other two. Naruto nodded, but Sakura shot him a small scowl. That statement was true but...

"Or a third." Taru finished, raising his eyebrows to give Sakura a look that said 'okay, okay...maybe not'.

She sighed and looked up at the gray sky.

"We should...visit Jiraiya's grave." She murmured ruminatively, her eyesight far off into the clouds.

Naruto's eyes widened at that remark, sending a grave feeling of despair through his heart. But he quickly shook it off...thinking about the old pervy sage.

"Yeah...let's get Sai, and we can all go." He added, giving Taru a small smile. Taru nodded after a moment and stood up as Naruto turned to walk off. Sakura never shifted, only tilted her head down a bit. Taru walked in front of her and held his arm out to her. She glanced at his arm and wrinkled her nose was more in what seemed to be, disgust. He was about to reach down and grab her arm himself, when he felt a raindrop hit his arm. The cold felt as though it had punctured through his skin. Sakura stared at the droplet on his tan flesh and her eyelids drooped a bit.

_Kalei...why are you so distant now? I don't want it to be like this. I don't want this hatred between us at all._

"You know...life is like a mirror...we get the best results when we _smile _at it. Smile for me, Sa-ku-ra."

Her eyes opened wide again as she stared up at Taru, who was giving her a toothy grin. If she wasn't in such a horrible mood, she would have found him to be quite adorable there. But not this time.

"I think I lost that smile." She mumbled quietly to herself. Taru let out a small chuckle and bent down to her level, causing her to blink a couple times. He leaned in close to her and placed his first finger on his nose.

"Not true. Nobody knows it, but you've got a secret smile...and you use it only for me." He winked at her...and that was enough to cause a small, faint tint of pink to surface on her cheeks. "'Cause you know, Sakura...nobody really cares if you're miserable. So you might as well be happy."

It wasn't enough to make her smile.

But it was a start.

_Sometimes, no matter how much faith we have, we lose people. But you never forget them. And sometimes, it's those memories that give us the faith to go on._

* * *

He stood atop a hill that overshadowed the dark cemetery. The heavy raindrops clung to dark cloak, making the fabric heavy.

It was pouring out...with small rumbles of thunder heard far off in the distance.

There he stood...watching them.

The four of them.

Sai, Taru...Naruto...and Sakura...all in front of Jiraiya's grave.

He slowly stuck his hand into the pocket of the overcoat and pulled out the headband, watching the symbol get washed away with heavy drops of rain. He stared at it with a solemn expression, feeling everything come back to him. He looked up...at Naruto and Sakura...and bit his lip as raindrops slipped in between them.

_I look back on all that's happened...growing up...growing together...growing apart...changing you...changing me...changing everything..._

They were so far away...

Like all his ambitions now...all his dreams...

Dreams...

He didn't even know what those were anymore...

_There were times when we dreamed together...when we laughed and cried together...fought together...fought eachother..._

Memories swirled around in his head...but he tried to push them away.

For once...he was almost certain he knew what he wanted. At least for now. But...was it unattainable? Was it even possible to fix things now?

_As I look back on those days...I realize how much I truly missed this all...and how much I truly...once...loved it here..._

He glanced back down at the headband...an overwhelming feeling of guilt coursing through him. He didn't deserve this. This...headband...He didn't...and any decent person would put it down and walk away...because he was clearly taking advantage of what was being offered to him. He didn't deserve it...and he shouldn't take it...he wouldn't take it...he...couldn't.

But he needed to let them know...

Needed to finally tell them his decision...

Let them know...

He had made up his mind.

* * *

Sakura could feel the raindrops hitting the dark coat around her. It drenched her hair, making the pink strands fall heavily around her face. Her eyes were half open, wearily staring at the tombstone in front of her. To her right was Naruto, and Taru...and next to her on her left was Sai. All were in the dark black cloaks. All had a solemn expression on their face. Everything...it all was so tragic...so dead...so over.

Her eyebrows furrowed just slightly as she tried to stop her body from shivering. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Naruto, hair matted down on his head with a few strands stuck to the side of his face...small, almost unnoticeable pools of tears in his dreary eyes. His lips were drawn into a tight line...and beyond him...Taru's expression was calm...mournful...but not as pained as hers or Naruto's.

She then glanced in the opposite direction toward Sai. His face was completely expressionless as always.

She looked forward at the freshly dug up dirt...the new tombstone...the worst sight she could have imagined at the time. She swallowed hard, listening to the rain crash down upon the ground all around her.

"It's getting to a point where even _I_ don't know what to do."

Her gaze quickly turned to Naruto as he spoke.

"I mean...who would have thought...the pervy sage dying..." She could see his lower lip tremble just slightly until he bit it and blinked a bit. Maybe it was just her...but she could have sworn a tear fell down his cheek. Not that you could tell in the rain...

She slowly looked back at the grave and tilted her head down a bit. Her eyelashes had droplets attached to them and her skin felt a bit itchy. The dirt was caking to her shoes and even the smell of fresh rain couldn't erase the dreadful feeling overtaking her.

Naruto shook his head slightly and brushed a piece of hair from his eye. "It's...too much. Everywhere I look...soon...it's only going to bring back painful memories..." His voice was a bit shaky, making Sakura's heart skip a beat.

After a short moment of silence...they heard a small chuckle behind them, barely audible as the rain muffled the sound.

Sakura's eyes opened slightly as she and the others turned their heads back...

"I used to think that too."

Sasuke stood a good ten feet behind them...in the same dark cloak they all were wearing...with the same soaked locks...and the same painful expression...only he had a sad smile adding to the sight. His hands were by his sides, and he was holding something in his right hand...but around the black cloak, Sakura couldn't tell what it was. Her eyes focused on his...sorrowful and empty.

Was he okay?

"Before I left here...I was weighed down with horrible memories. The less I focused on hating Itachi...the more I focused on hating myself. I was willing to give up my life to achieve that one goal." He glanced at Naruto, and then to Sakura. Her eyelids drooped once more, eyebrows furrowed as well. As if she didn't already feel depressed...

Sasuke could only make it worse.

Naruto, too, listened intently to his words.

"But...when the time came for Orochimaru to take my body...I realized I wasn't willing to die yet. I thought it was because I still hadn't killed my brother...but I don't think that was it." He tilted his head up and closed his eyes, feeling the rain fall down on his face. "After I killed Orochimaru...I left Kabuto and came here...feeling like there was no 'after' if I found Itachi. I needed to see my home once more...and honestly, I had thought about what would happen if I seen you two." His voice was calm and low...monotone, as usual.

Sakura felt her heart speed up a bit. Sasuke was always one to brood...but he was so serious...and looked unusually lonely. She had fought so hard to forget him over this last year...because something kept telling her..."give up, it's not worth it...he's never coming back...all those promises were lies"...and she told herself over and over again that she knew it...that she was just being foolish and needed to move on. She was so proud of herself for keeping to that even when he surprisingly decided to stay. But now...for some reason...she felt completely different...

Like the other night...when he held her in his arms...

Damn him...

"I didn't think it would end up like this. Years ago...when I seen the two of you at Orochimaru's lair...I had my mind set on killing you. I thought it'd be simple...and at the time, it mostly was. But the circumstances weren't at my favor...and if I'd have been in my right mind...I would have just walked away instead of trying to fight you." His eyes moved to Naruto's, who flinched at his words. "I thought I could avoid you if I returned to the village...but when I ran into Sakura...I realized it wasn't that simple." His eyes now moved to Sakura's, whose pierced his with the utmost detest for bringing up these memories.

He lifted his right arm out in front of him...and Sakura was finally able to identify the object in his grasp.

It was his headband...the fabric on it now drenched...the metal part in his hand.

Sasuke stared at it...the small, melancholy smile returning to his lips.

"I left here...deciding that I was done playing ninja in the village. I walked away...left behind this place and everyone in it. I _abandoned _my childhood and left to avenge my clan." His eyes narrowed and his voice became shaky. Naruto's eyes widened as he noticed a glassiness take over Sasuke's eyes. "And I did. I killed Itachi...and..." His voice crackled just slightly and he took a minute to regain his composure. "...and _hell_! I _still _can't decide if it was worth it..."

Sakura's pulse was now sky rocketing and the heaviest feeling filled her chest. Why did she want to run over to him so bad?

Oh, maybe it was because he looked like he was going to cry!!

He shook his head softly and tightened his grip on the headband, gritting his teeth. "Damn it...I walked _away _from you...and then I return...and you offer me _this_?!" His voice cracked again as his hand started shaking. Naruto took a step toward him, feeling a tear run down his cheek.

"And the _hell_...a month of no training and no home..._that's _my punishment? How are you so..._forgiving_?! I always knew you were stupid, Naruto. But even you, Sakura. I got off punishment because...because you begged Tsunade. And fuck...I don't get why! I don't _deserve _this! I don't...I can't..." He dropped the headband and it fell down into the mud with the silver Konoha symbol up. Sasuke stared down at it and felt his shoulder's start shaking.

_I-I knew this would happen...I knew it. I knew if I came down here and told them...I'd cry. It's alright...isn't it? It's okay...right?_

He swallowed hard and closed his eyes tightly. "You're both...s-such idiots, you know that? This headband...I can't take it. I don't even...want it."

And as Sakura's defense almost shattered completely...Sasuke fell down onto his knee's, hunching his back forward, arms wrapping around himself, head down right over the headband. Naruto, clearly way more unstable than Sakura...took off immediately to Sasuke. Sakura had moved one foot forward automatically...but stopped with a sharp intake of breath reminding her...

There was no reason for her to run over to him. There was nothing there. There was no room for her in his heart.

There never was.

She tossed her head sharply to the side and closed her eyes tightly to keep herself from crying. She knew the sight of Sasuke like this could destroy her...

No...would destroy her.

Taru's eyes widened and he felt his skin crawl. _Sasuke Uchiha?_ And even Sai's eyes shot open wide.

Sakura cracked one eye open, unable to peel her eyes away from the morbid sight ahead of her...

Naruto was on his knee's by Sasuke's side...head resting on his hands that were placed on Sasuke's shaking back. She could hear him mumbling something...and she could hear him sobbing...

Fuck...she could see them _both _sobbing. Her heart wrenched in her chest and her stomach twisted into knots.

_There's no room for me. They don't need me...Sasuke doesn't want me..._

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her back slightly push her forward. The force caused her to take a small step and she glanced over at Sai who was doing it. Her eyes were slightly wide...glassy and cold. Sai just nodded, removing his hand from her back. She let out a deep, hesitant breathe and glanced over at Taru. His face was the same as Sai's...and he nodded as well.

She looked forward and blinked...feeling one warm tear fall from her lashes. Her body was trembling from nervousness and she started to walk forward.

Sasuke's back slowly stopped moving up and down so roughly...but that didn't stop Naruto from crying. "Bastard...I don't care how many times you leave..." He closed his eyes and sniffled a bit. "...as long as you always come back."

Sasuke's bangs were hanging in front of him, clumped together by the water. He couldn't take his eyes off the Konoha symbol on the headband. Why...why were they so forgiving? He just couldn't understand.

All of a sudden, he heard a footstep sink into the mud ahead of him. Naruto heard it too, slowly lifting his head and removing his arms from Sasuke's back. Sasuke, like Naruto, slowly lifted up his back, and they both looked up at Sakura...who was standing a few feet ahead of them. Sasuke's eyes were wide and a bit red, making Sakura's chest burn painfully.

For some reason...even the rain couldn't fill the silence that made it's way around them. Why the hell did she feel so nervous? Why did she feel so out of place?

A very small smirk crawled onto her face, and her voice was just as shaky as her hands. "Don't be surprised...if your heart hurts..."

Sasuke just stared up at her...into her green eyes...

She felt her knee's go weak. "Life is for the living...the forgiving...and for coming back alive..." Her voice was soft...but a bit shaky.

She slowly fell heavily onto her knee's just in front of the headband, and her gaze drifted to it. She felt more tears spring into her eyes. Sasuke just stared at her, eyelids drooping a bit as well.

_Sakura..._

Naruto glanced between the two, and quickly wiped his eyes, sniffling once more. He scooted over a bit so he was in the middle of them and sighed, staring down at the headband as the other two did.

It felt at though time was frozen, and the rain falling around them drowned out everything else. Taru and Sai just watched from a distance.

Naruto let out a sorrowful laugh. "Look at us...the old team seven...kneeling in a cemetery. It's kinda...weird." He smiled a bit up at the other two who gave him joyless looks. "But hey...we're all together...right?"

Sasuke's eyes widened as Naruto chuckled once more. It's true...they were together.

Naruto threw his arms up onto their shoulders and smiled, closing his eyes and tilting his head down. He pulled them all closer until their heads met in the middle over the headband.

"My life is for the living..." Naruto's voice livened up a bit...the graceful smile helping.

And for some reason...the tension seemed to melt away little by little.

Sasuke couldn't understand...why they were so forgiving...why they still cared about him. But then...he couldn't understand why he _wanted _their forgiveness so much...or why he still cared about _them_.

Sakura took a deep breathe and smiled a bit herself...raising her left arm up on Naruto's shoulder. Her right arm stayed limply by her side and she continued to smile at the headband...realizing how Konoha was truly her home...their home. "...the forgiving..." She continued.

The corner of Sasuke's lip raised.

_I don't really understand them but..._

"...and for coming back alive..." He finished...raising his right arm up onto Naruto's shoulder. His left one stayed by his side as well...and he slowly looked up to Sakura as Naruto laughed quietly once again.

_If I stay here...I'll do everything in my power as a shinobi to honor this village..._

Sakura's eyes met his and a tiny tint of pink rose to her flushed face. The rain pelted their backs as the soft breeze chilled the moisture on their faces, and Sakura tried to keep herself from shivering.

Instantaneously, both Sakura and Sasuke raised their arms and rested them on the each others shoulders. Sakura grabbed tightly onto his black cloak...as if she was scared to let go.

And she was...right now...she wanted something to hold on to.

And they had each other.

Team Seven.

* * *

His one eye crinkled a bit as the girl on his right grabbed onto his pants and tugged a bit.

"And you doubted her decision. Does that look like a dangerous risk in any way?" His cool tone mingled with the sound of the rain.

Junko growled a bit, eyebrows furrowing tightly as he watched the three down in front of Jiraiya's grave. He sighed heavily, a scowl on his face. "History tends to repeat itself. We must be cautious."

The little girl moved closer to his leg and he unfolded his arms that were across his chest, placing his right hand on her head.

"Who else could you possibly find with the '...do what I have to do...say what I have to say...go where I have to go...' attitude-"

"And that's dangerous." Junko cut him off.

Kakashi just sighed heavily and looked down at Kiako, who watched the three very carefully...a somewhat scared expression on her face.

Junko shook his head. "This could all be an act...I'm just not sure. We need to be very careful and I understand her wishes...but if all this is only temporary...there's so much going on...so many lies-"

"Who said the _truth's _going to save us...when the _truth _could be dangerous?" Kakashi cut him off, giving him a serious look. Junko flinched under his gaze.

"The way I see it...is what I'm standing on is sinking in...and I don't have a clue how to get off. The village is going through a rough time." Kakashi ruffled Kiako's hair a bit and she rested her head lazily against his leg as a raindrop hit her eye. She quickly rubbed it away and whimpered a bit. "But when I look at them...there is hope."

Junko sighed.

Silence.

His eyes widened as he glanced up into the sky.

There was a small break in the clouds, and he could see the full moon behind the gray shadows. A small shred of light. He looked back down at the three...now joined by the other two, slowly standing.

Kakashi looked at them as well and smiled underneath his mask.

Junko turned his back to the cemetery. "You can't pretend that there's not a chance of things repeating themselves. That cycle-"

"It ends tonight."

He looked at Kakashi, eyes wide once more. Kakashi's eyes never moved from the five of them now slowly making their way toward the cemetery exit.

After a moment, Junko growled and started to walk off.

Kakashi now glanced down at Kiako. When Junko was out of sight, he spoke, "Even if nobody else understand but me...I'll defend them as long as I can. It may not be right for them...but it's right for me." Kiako looked up at him with wide, sad eyes. She nodded, raising her arms up...indicating for him to pick her up.

Despite her age...she still acted like a very young child.

She wrapped her arms around Kakashi's neck as her legs rested on either side of his torso. He sighed, thinking back to this morning...

-

_"Take care of everything, got it? One screw up, and I'll have your heads." Tsunade winked at Kakashi as he and Kurenai stood on either side of a pouty Kiako._

_"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Kurenai nodded, trying to force a smile. She ran her eyes over the headband on Tsunade's forehead. What a strange sight..._

_"Stop looking so grim...I'll only be gone a couple of days." Tsunade groaned, making Kurenai look away. "And don't forget...nine days until-"_

_"Yeah...yeah...don't worry. We'd never forget that." Kakashi moaned, bored. He waved his hand at Tsunade...telling her not to worry. She shot him a curious look and rolled her eyes._

_"Alright then, Kakashi. I'll be back by then and everything will be all right." She smiled and waved._

_Taru adjusted the straps of Kalei's backpack and then she tugged at her long sleeve black shirt. Kiako watched her carefully...the pouty expression increasing. Kalei noticed this and shot her little sister a small glare. _

_Kakashi ruffled Kiako's hair, causing her to close her eyes and wrinkle her nose. "I'll take good care of her while you're gone. No worries."_

_Kalei gave him a small smile and nodded. "Thank you very much. Behave, Kiako." She demanded firmly._

_Kiako nodded under Kakashi's hand, still messing up her hair. He laughed a bit and reached down to grab her wrist. He lifted her up into the air by it and she groaned a bit, strands of hair falling in her face._

_Taru leaned in and whispered something in Kalei's ear. Afterwards, she nodded and he walked over to stand by Kurenai._

_Tsunade laughed at Kiako's childish expression. "Okay, thanks. Kurenai...you take it easy."_

_Kurenai nodded._

_Kalei and Tsunade started to turn around when Kakashi shouted out to them._

_"Hey, just be careful!"_

_Tsunade lifted her hand up into the air, not looking back._

_Kakashi sighed and put Kiako to her feet. He looked up to Kurenai who had a somewhat distressed look on her face. He reached over and poked her in the cheek lightly. Her gaze turned to him, slightly startled, slightly annoyed._

_"I always knew you were touchy...but this is ridiculous." Kakashi voiced cheerfully...just to annoy her. Kurenai frowned a bit until Kiako's giggle caused her to give her a funny look._

_"Come on! This is good, right? Like...when you're Hokage is gone...it's kind of like when my sister is gone, right? You get to do whatever you want, right?" She muttered happily, giant grin on her face._

_Kakashi laughed and patted her on the head once more, causing her to look up at him with wide, inquisitive eyes._

_"Wrong. It's not up to you to decide if you're going to get to do whatever you want." His low voice caused her to frown and bite gently on her finger._

_"Okay mister. Who's it up to then?"_

_Kakashi's eye crinkled. "It's up to me. Tell me something you want to do while your sister is away."_

_Kurenai couldn't help but smile at the two. Kakashi wouldn't be half bad with children._

_Kiako's eyes widened...and so did her mischievous grin._

_"There's somebody I want to meet!" She shouted happily._

_-_

* * *

It was ten in the morning and Sakura was ascending the steps up to Tsunade's office. Today was the Ikiru festival...and right about now they were holding the presentation of ranks. Everything was decorated and full of live...and the Konoha symbol was everywhere. There were games around every corner and people were already filling the streets. Sakura was supposed to be enrolled in the normal ceremonies today for all the jonin and ANBU...but she had managed to get out of all that by helping Shizune with work.

"So she left yesterday morning? Why didn't she tell me?" Sakura asked, flipping through some pages of a book she was scanning. They were walking down the hallways and Shizune was a few steps a head of her, holding a squealing Tonton in her arms.

"I guess she didn't want to worry you. Or maybe...didn't want to personally tell you she was dumping this whole Ikiru problem on you and I." Shizune looked back at her and smiled, and Sakura gave her a childish grin in return.

"That's just like her." Sakura mumbled happily, returning to her book.

Today...was a good day. At least...everything felt pretty good.

She felt as though a giant weight was lifted off her shoulders. She actually..._wanted _to see Sasuke...and she felt like things were getting better...maybe only a little.

But they were...nonetheless.

At least...that's what she wanted to believe.

"You know, the festival should actually be pretty nice. It's always fun...but Tsunade managed to sneak in a few more things this year." They came to a halt in front of Tsunade's office. Actually, it was her new office. They had moved her to a different one with a giant balcony that had a great view of the village. Tsunade had requested more room because she was collecting medical books by the dozen and she wasn't exactly the neatest person.

"Oh, like what?" Sakura asked, closing the book. Shizune put Tonton on the floor and pulled a key out of her pocket. She put it into the doorknob and unlocked the door, pushing it open slowly.

"Well...there's going to be a renewal burning...where everybody can throw items from their past that they want to forget into this circular crate thing, and at 11:30, they light a fire in the middle until everything is burnt up." Shizune explained as they walked into the room. Kakashi was leaning against the wall right next to the glass door that lead to the balcony. It was right behind her desk. And surprisingly...the room was clean.

Sakura walked up to the desk and set her book down. "That sounds neat." She walked around the desk and opened the drawers, looking looking for some papers.

"Yeah, and then at midnight, everybody gathers around the fire for Confession."

Sakura's eyes widened at Shizune's words. She grabbed the papers from the drawer and closed it. She looked over at Shizune who was standing by the doorway, ready to leave. "Confession?" She questioned curiously.

Shizune nodded and tossed the keys across the room to Sakura, who caught them up in the air with her right hand.

"Confession. Where everybody is to confess their secrets over the past two years." Kakashi mumbled from behind her. His face was buried in his book, as usual. Sakura looked behind him and put the keys into her pockets.

"I see." She replied softly.

Shizune started to walk out of the room. "You, Kurenai, Kakashi, and I have a set of keys. If you should ever lose your pair...let me know." She waved goodbye and shut the door behind her.

Sakura nodded and looked down at the papers in front of her. They were files of the new promoted shinobi.

Hers...Naruto's...and Sasuke's were in here.

A small smile drifted across her face.

"Hey, Sakura."

She looked up, startled a bit, at Kakashi, who pushed the glass door open with his leg just enough for her to walk through.. "Check this out. You might want to see it."

Sakura just blinked a couple times as she heard faint talking from outside. She slowly walked over to the door and Kakashi stepped out of her way. She shot him a suspicious look and walked through. The slight breeze ruffled through her hair a bit, and she walked over to the ledge. Resting her hands on the ledge, she leaned over slightly and scanned everything around her.

The view was truly amazing.

But what was really, truly amazing...was the sight below her...right in front of the Village Hall.

Her eyes widened as she seen four rows of four shinobi, all in normal jonin attire...with Junko and two other elders, a jonin, and two ANBU members standing in front of them. Right away, she noticed Naruto and Sasuke standing side by side in the front row...headbands on...vests on...standing straight and tall...

Her heart skipped a beat.

Sasuke...Sasuke was really wearing that headband...across his head...

He had kept his promise...He was really a shinobi here...

Just like old times.

_Maybe...he really meant everything he said. Maybe...it's okay to believe him this time..._

Without even realizing it...a small smile drifted across her face.

Really...today was going to be a good day...

Suddenly, Sasuke looked up and caught her eye, noticing she was staring at him. Her eyes widened a bit but her gaze never wavered.

And it felt as if...time slowed down and sped up all at the same time. Those eyes were the same as always...the ones she fell in love with.

He smirked up at her and instantly, a smile surfaced on her face. She shook her head and turned around, clenching her fist in front of her tightly.

She laughed a bit to herself...

"Hell yes!" She whispered excitedly.

Kakashi watched her from inside, satisfied with her reaction.

-

Things were looking up already.

* * *

_Chapter Twelve_

_Avowal Of Veracity_


	12. Avowal Of Veracity

**So...  
It's been a long time. And I apologize.  
I still hope people read my story.**

****

And also...I'm sure this chapters a bit OOC.  
I wasn't trying to beat around the bush...just...  
I want to make sure I define Sakura's struggle with her feelings...  
And get Sasuke's slow realize of his own down perfectly.

**Anyways, I'll be picking this up again...but the chapters might be a little shorter.  
But I still have all my idea's in place sooo...that's good!**

Also! I have a new poll on my page! Check it out!

I hope you enjoy--and please review!  
Give me your thoughts...suggestions...criticism...anything!  
I missed you guys hehe!

* * *

**ALSO! I've decided to give you my photobucket site...these are pictures of some of the characters in my story...  
It's how I imagine then looking when I write, you know? So this is just to give you an image...  
I have the titles on there so you match it up! Review and tell me if this is useful.**

**-**

**www . photobucket . com / sammerzjean**

**Password: dangerouseternity**

**-**

* * *

_Chapter Twelve:  
Avowal Of Veracity_

_"When I close my eyes and wonder where you are, and you wish upon a star..."_

* * *

"Hey, Sasuke!"

"What's up, Sasuke!?"

"Hi there, Sasuke!"

"Hey, Uchiha!"

-

Naruto and Sasuke were siting at picnic table in between a line of booths on either side of them. Sasuke never really realized how many people knew he was back...

But everytime a girl walked by...

He kinda figured it out.

He was poking at a bowl of ramen in front of him. After the presentation of ranks, he and Naruto decided to get something to eat before they had to go help with preparations for the fire tonight. For some reason...though the shinobi were being honored...they also had to work.

Naruto plucked a sweet dumpling off the stick and shoved it into his mouth. He had an empty bowl of ramen in front of him and was now on to the next part of the meal.

"These are so good! I love 'em!" He shot Sasuke a devlish look, though Sasuke didn't notice. "I'd offer you one...but I know you don't like them." He popped another one into his mouth and chomped away.

"Sasuke Uchiha! Hey!"

Naruto watched all the girls...of many ages...walk by and spare a few glances at Sasuke. It wasn't exactly bothering him. He found it quite amusing because Sasuke never once bothered to return the greeting to either of them. Sasuke only kept his eyes down on his half eaten bowl of ramen, letting out the occasional sigh.

"_Sasuke! Sasuke! OoOoOoOo Sasuke! _You're a pretty popular guy!" An older woman's voice sounded from next to Naruto.

Anko appeared on the stool Naruto was sitting on. She slipped her feet underneath the picnic table and was sitting on the left side...right across from Sasuke. She gave him a mischievous grin and snickered a bit. "Quite the ladies man, huh? I always knew you were." She pointed her finger at him and he looked up at her, only to glare at her with disgust. Naruto pulled off another sweet dumpling and turned to face Anko.

"So wha errr you oing toay for thiz fesival?" He mumbled, mouth full of food. Anko sighed heavily and reached for one of his sweet dumplings.

"Absolutely nothing! I had to get up early this freaking morning and decorate the whole place! I'm beat." She brought it to her mouth and threw it in, letting out a 'mmm' in satisfaction.

Naruto grunted. "I don't get why we have to help out when we're the ones this festival is for!" His voice was clearer with his food swallowed. He pushed the empty plate ahead of him next to the empty bowl.

"Life sucks, Naruto." Anko muttered mockingly. She looked over at Sasuke, who still hadn't touched his ramen. Her face twisted into a frown and she looked over at Naruto. "What, doesn't he talk?"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke and then sighed looking off to his right at all the hustle and bustle around them. "Yeah...when he wants to. But I think he's all talked out. He talked a lot last night."

Now Sasuke's eyes shot up at Naruto, narrowing. His head never moved from staring down at the ramen bowl...but the glare was still as offending. Naruto seen it from the corner of his eye and a small grin popped onto his face. Anko scratched her head and when Naruto turned his head back, Anko shoved her finger into his cheek and he groaned a bit.

"Yeah, yeah...okay. Speaking of talking...tonight's confession fire- you going to confess something big?" Anko grinned at Naruto, who gazed at her with wide eyes. Sasuke too, tuned into the conversation.

"Confession?" Naruto asked curiously. Anko removed her finger and her grin died down to a mischevious smirk.

"Yeah, confession. You know...telling all your little _secrets_. Maybe you can confess that you're in love with your little girlfriend," She tapped her finger on her chin, "...oh, oh, what was her name..._Camille_?" She snickered to herself and Sasuke glanced up from his ramen bowl at Naruto. Did he even know she wasn't here?

"It's _Kalei_. And she's not my girlfriend. We're just friends." And the statement itself was harmless...but there was a little extra bite to it. "And I haven't even seen her all day." He finished.

Sasuke's eyes widened and he moved his head up and to the right, glancing down the street. He put his right elbow up on the table and rested his head in his hand...hand covering his mouth.

_So Naruto doesn't even know?_

"Yeah, yeah...whatever. Well, maybe you could confess to Sakura...you know...that little crush you have on her?" Anko chuckled out. Naruto groaned a bit and glanced at Sasuke, who's eye twitched ever so slightly. Anko exchanged glances between the two and sighed. "Oh that's right. I forgot about you." She took a deep breath and sighed, silence coming over the three of them. Naruto rubbed his stomach, clearly not satisfied and full. Sasuke ignored Anko's comment as he was lost in his own thoughts.

_So she didn't tell Naruto, and she didn't tell Sakura? Kalei nor Tsunade told them...and neither did Shizune. _

Sasuke's brown furrowed as he heard a rumble break through the silence. He moved his eyes to glance at Anko, not moving his face from his hand. Anko was slightly red...her stomach growling. Sasuke, obviously at a loss of appetite, looked off to the right again and with his hand poking at the ramen, dropped the chopsticks onto the side of the bowl and pushed it forward to Anko, who's mouth fell open...a cheesy grin plastered on her face.

"Aww, thanks!" She said excitedly, picking up the chopsticks and grabbing some noodles. Before they could reach her mouth, though, she heard somebody obnoxiously shout her name. She looked up to her right and seen some people waving her over. She let out a small whimper and sighed, putting the chopsticks down in the bowl.

"Damn. Well...duty calls. Catch you kiddies later!" She said, disappearing into thin air.

_Wait for it..._

_Wait for it..._

Naruto slid down to where Anko was sitting and picked up the chopsticks, shooting Sasuke a mischievous smirk. Sasuke noticed it from the corner of his eye and tried to ignore it as Naruto took in a mouthful of noodles.

"Soooo...it's _perfect_. This whole confession thing...you can confess to Sakura that you still-"

"I don't."

"But-"

"_No._"

Naruto just continued eating the ramen like Sasuke's stubborn attitude didn't bother him.

And as a moment of silence passed, another girl walked past them and blushed, winking at Sasuke. "Hello _Sasuke Uchiha._" Her tone was flirty, and Naruto looked behind him to see the girl walking past. He then turned back to his bowl and picked up more noodles, a now slightly distasteful look on his face.

"I have to wonder what Sakura would say if she heard all these girls." He mumbled with a full mouth.

Sasuke's eyes widened as through the crowd he spotted Sakura walking down the street a ways.

Perfect timing.

_She won't do anything._

"Let's find out." Sasuke mumbled through his hand, causing Naruto to look up at him with curious eyes. He turned his back around and seen Sakura, instantly spotting her and giving her a cheerful smile. His flailing arm caught her attention, and she glanced over at them...at the same time as a group of giggling girls walked by staring at an uninterested Sasuke. She only watched and waved back at Naruto, continuing walking.

Sasuke let out a short 'I knew it' type of laugh as Naruto turned back around and sighed. Sasuke focused his eyes on the street as Sakura slowly slipped from his vision. Through all the hustle and bustle, Naruto's slurping took the top spot on the list of annoying sounds flying through the air. But the most annoying thing...was the unfortunate thought of the confession fire tonight. It kept slipping into his mind like a disease in contaminated air...inescapable.

He sighed into his hand and turned his face to the left as he rested his arms on the picnic table. It was as he was turning his head...he spotted Sakura talking to Taru just left of them a ways. They were too far away to hear anything...but Sasuke's eyes narrowed instantly as he seen Sakura beaming at Taru. Sasuke's stomach lurched as Sakura nodded her head a couple times and walked past him, while he turned and started walking slowly toward Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke stood up roughly, causing Naruto to slurp up the noodles dangling from his lips quickly and glance up at Sasuke.

"Where are-"

"Things to do."

And Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked down the street...opposite of the direction Taru was coming from.

_I don't understand. Why does that guy bother me so much? _

Sasuke wrinkled his brow as he slowly made his way over to the grounds where the fire was going to be held.

-

Naruto watched as Sasuke rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. He then shrugged and went back to his noodles.

"Yo, Naruto!"

Randomly, Taru sat himself down beside Naruto, who shoved more noodles into his mouth and choked out a hello. Taru flashed him a bright smile.

"This festivals pretty crazy. I think tonight should interesting, don't you?"

Naruto's thoughts drifted to Sasuke and Sakura for a moment, and a small sarcastic laugh escaped his lips. "Oh yeah, definitely." He replied, picking up the bowl and preparing to slurp down the broth.

Taru's smiled vanished and he scratched his head, looking off into the distance. "Yeah...so you have anything to confess tonight?"

Naruto's lips curved around the bowl and he tilted it up, slowing slurping the warm liquid. He let out a quiet 'nu huh' from deep in his throat. Taru sighed quietly and a small tint of red focused on his cheeks.

"Yeah? Well...can I get some insight from you?"

"Uh huh."

His slurping grew louder as he gathered the last of the fluid into his mouth. He held it in there, savoring the flavor as he set the bowl down, feeling satisfied.

"I think I'm going to confess to Sakura tonight."

And instantly, the broth flew from Naruto's mouth across the picnic table and over into the street.

_What?! What, what, what?! _Naruto's eyes shot open, stomach twisting into knots. He turned to face Taru, who was staring at Naruto as if he was some hideous creature.

"C-Confess? What _exactly _are you confessing!? Confess _what_?!" Naruto's voice cracked. He was overwhelmed with shock. Just moments ago, he was telling Sasuke to admit to Sakura how he felt about her...and now, here's Taru...telling him he's going to do the exact same thing?

_Not good. Soooo not good._He blinked a couple of times as Taru gave him a 'well obviously' type of look.

"I'm going to tell her that I like her." His voice sounded confident and a sincere smile popped up onto his face.

Naruto just stared at him blankly for a moment, then ever so slowly started to turn his head to face in front of him. He remembered very vividly a time when Kalei had told Naruto she liked Sasuke...and like a total moron, he told her she should tell him. And look how things ended up...Sakura and Kalei hate each other...Kalei can't forget about Sasuke...and Sasuke's...well, just whatever.

_"And that's true no matter what? Do you think everybody deserves to put up a fight?" Kalei asked quietly. _

_Naruto nodded slowly._

_She sighed. "Naruto, I'm talking about Sasuke."_

_"You...you like Sasuke?" He spat out._

_"Yes." She said quietly, __"But I know there's something between him and Sakura. I've never been one to try and meddle in things that aren't my business...so I'm-"_

_"He talks about you." Naruto cut her off._

God, he remembered that so clearly.

Taru chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head once more. "I just think it's the perfect time. You know, I never knew that I actually cared about her in that way until just the other night when I ran into Sasuke. He made me realize just how much I actually wanted to see her happy."

_"Kalei...I shouldn't say this but...Old Lady Tsunade...told me Sakura was leaving on a mission tomorrow and would be gone for three days. I meant what I said. Nobody can change things for you but yourself. You have to believe."_

And with Taru's words...Naruto's resolve cracked.

_Taru has every right to tell Sakura his true feelings. I mean...why shouldn't he? Things will end up how they are meant to end up. I can't control it...and just because I told Sasuke to tell Sakura...doesn't mean he will. And it doesn't mean Taru can't! Right...?!_

Naruto sighed and rubbed his face with both hands, feeling slightly stressed. "What exactly do you _like _about Sakura, Taru?"

Taru glanced at Naruto and then up at the clear blue sky. "Well, she's smart. She's strong. She's independent and a great shinobi. Along with that she's beautiful and kind hearted. What, exactly, is not to like?"

"Her temper-" Naruto muttered under his breath.

"-Huh?"

"Nothing!" Naruto shot Taru a cheery smile...all the while, strangely, he felt a pang of jealous. Why? Something about Taru liking Sakura...and even Sasuke liking Sakura...made him uncomfortable. He didn't like it all too much...but he couldn't tell why. And he didn't want to think on it any further.

He let out a deep, agitated sigh and faced Taru. His lips were drawn into a tight line, making Taru give him a strange look...one of the many he had given Naruto all throughout the conversation.

_I may regret this later but...for now...I choose to..._

"Okay, Taru, look..." Naruto voice cracked once more as he felt unsure of what exactly he wanted to say. "Sasuke's my best friend...and he'll be my best friend no matter what he does or what happens. I'd do anything for the guy. But..."

Taru's eyes focused on Naruto's.

_Well, I guess looking on the bright side...Taru's nothing like Kalei...he's not willing to do anything too drastic to get to Sakura...like, ruin friendships or something, right? I mean...he's not even friends with Kalei. So he's nothing like her._

A small wave of reassurance floated over Naruto...and the words flowed a little more quickly. He cared about Kalei...but...he knew her ways.

"I'm in no position to tell you this, so never tell a soul I did...but I think...you should confess to Sakura!"

Taru nodded, one corner of his lips raising just slightly.

"Just...know that Sakura's a complicated person and you need to be careful! Never hurt her...and...and if Sasuke-"

"Naruto-" Taru cut him off, a wide, toothy grin plastered on his features. Naruto felt a bit satisfied seeing Taru pleased. Did Taru really want Naruto's approval? Something inside Naruto made him really like this guy. "I got it." Taru finished, standing up and walking away. Naruto just sat there, staring into space and thinking to himself.

And really...he was just hoping things turned out right.

* * *

"Alright. This looks pretty good."

Sasuke was sitting high up on a branch in a tall tree while Kakashi tied a light on a branch opposite Sasuke's side of the trunk. His feet were dangling as the breeze ruffled his hair and shirt. His eye lids were half open and he was staring as if he were in a trance. But he wasn't. He was just caught up in thought.

He even hated to admit it to himself...but he was watching Sakura...who was just a little ways off playing with some children in a field. Her hair was tied up in a pony and her cheeks were red from running around with the three young kids. Her eyes were bright. She looked like she was enjoying herself.

And Sasuke wasn't quite sure what he was feeling. Was it jealousy...that she was so happy and he wasn't the one making her that way? Or was it his own happiness that Sakura was looking so happy and alive? Or maybe resentment...because in the past year, he hadn't been able to look even close to how she looked right now?

"How does it look?"

Kakashi's voice broke into Sasuke's thoughts, causing his head to snap to his right to glance up at the light tied neatly up in the branch. The idea was to tie very bright lights up high in the trees to create a somewhat mysterious and romantic effect for the fire. And it was a pretty well thought out idea.

"Fine."

Kakashi sighed, adjusting himself to sit down next to Sasuke. "You know, you should have done that yourself instead of sitting here doing nothing."

Sasuke turned to look back at Sakura again, who was laughing with one of the small children. "I told you that was the perfect spot to tie it. I helped."

Kakashi pulled out his book and nodded. "I suppose. So we did good."

"We did."

"We have great minds."

A small smile rose to Sasuke's face at that comment, but faded just as quick. He wasn't too interested in anything else, except praying that Sakura didn't see him sitting up in a tree staring at her.

It was staring, right? Or stalking...?

"Take a picture. It will last longer."

Sasuke snapped from his trance once again and in an attempt to give Kakashi a witty retort, he bit his tongue and looked off to his left to avoid seeing his ex sensei's amused face.

But Kakashi found it somewhat entertaining and decided to keep plucking at his nerves. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Sasuke's face grew slightly hot. "Who?"

"Sakura, of course. She matured into quite the solid shinobi. Stubborn and ill-tempered...but dependable none-the-less." Kakashi's tone was cool and unwavering, making Sasuke feel comfortable enough to glance at him...yet, only to give him a nasty glare.

"And just _where _are you going with this?" He snarled sorely, making Kakashi raise a hand up to him.

"Settle. I'm only stating-"

"No, you're _not_." Sasuke hissed mockingly, eye brows raised.

_Enough bullshit, Kakashi._

Kakashi's eye crinkled and he looked back at Sakura, who was now slowing walking away with the children dancing around her. Sasuke watched too, trying his hardest to look unamused. And for the most part, it worked.

"I guess I'm just stating my opinion. I'm really fond of who Sakura is...don't take that the wrong way." Kakashi chuckled out once more, earning another distasteful look from the young Uchiha. Kakashi jumped down from the branch and Sasuke's eyes trailed, watching his ex sensei turn around and look back up at him.

"I think Sakura's beautiful." Kakashi winked.

_Of course, you old pervert._Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed questioningly.

Kakashi waved up at Sasuke.

"And you know what they say...great minds think alike."

Instantly, Sasuke's face turned a faded shade of red and he turned his head to the left, scoffing loudly at that remark.

_Damn you, Kakashi. _And as he was ready to jump down and start swearing at him for the completely uncalled for remark, he noticed Kakashi was gone, and he was sitting alone in the tree. He looked around him to see if Kakashi was hiding anywhere, and when he was sure he wasn't, he silently started cursing him.

Who was he to assume Sasuke thought _that _about Sakura? He didn't know _what _he was thinking?! So why did everybody _else _think they knew?!

Sasuke jumped down from the branch and stretched out his arms, noticing the sun starting to set. In a little bit everybody would be making their way to the fire grounds to throw their old possessions into the big wooden box and watch them burn away into the night. Then the confession time would begin and people would start pouring out their secrets as if they actually had to.

He ran his hand through his hair a couple times, feeling a bit tense.

_I don't exactly know what I want to do at this point...because I'm not sure what's right and what's wrong. But I do know...that I don't know..._

And that didn't make _any _sense.

And _because _that didn't make any sense, he was only beginning to be more frustrated with himself.

* * *

"Alright, everything is in place. The entertainment is set up...the lights are all up and ready. Umm...I talked to Iruka and he'll light the box on fire about a half hour after everybody has started to put their crap into the box-"

"-Crap?"

"Just...whatever." Sakura shook her head, handing Shizune a couple pieces of paper. At this point, it was dark out, and she was wearing a baggy white shirt with the Konoha symbol enlarged on the back. All the shinobi being honored in the festival were to wear this, as to stick out to those at the confession ceremony. The shirt was open in the front and underneath she was wearing a tight pink T-shirt and baggy dark blue pants. Her hair was now tied into a messy bun with a long pink ribbon, with strands of her hair flying around her face in every direction. Honestly, the slightly unkempt style made her look beautiful in a more relaxed way.

"Thank you, Sakura. You're incredibly helpful. And that's why Lady Tsunade and I can rely on you with no doubts." Shizune giggled, noticing Sakura's relief at having everything accomplished. Sakura just nodded, a slight smirk on her face.

"Yeah, well, you can have people start putting their possessions into the box now...oh, and remember that the raft is down by the river aways. Have Kakashi and Gai or somebody bring it down the river here and ready it." Sakura muttered, now turning to walk away. Shizune nodded and turned her attention to the papers in her hands.

-

Sakura was now walking among the people, eyes straight to the ground. She felt nervous...anxious...she wasn't sure.

_I can do this. I can do this. I can seriously...do this._

"Well, hey there, forehead!"

"Pig." Sakura replied boredly without looking up right away. When she did, she seen Ino and Hinata standing in front of her in yukata's, all prettied up.

"Look at all these people. Today was totally fun! I can't wait until I get to be one of the shinobi honored at this festival! Well...if that day comes." Ino tapped her finger on her chin causing Sakura to snicker quietly. She turned her attention to Hinata, who was completely red in the face, with almost unnoticeable trembling.

"And Hinata? You alright?" Sakura asked softly. Hinata glanced up at her and then looked away, nodding roughly. Ino placed her hand on Hinata's shoulder and pushed her a bit to the left.

"We're gonna go throw our stuff in the box now. Catch you later?" Flashing her a childish grin, Ino continued to push Hinata down the hill to the box.

"Definately." Sakura replied, walking away.

* * *

Naruto marched through the people up to Sasuke, who was standing in front of the box...staring at it with ominous eyes.

"You have to drop something in." Naruto commented jokingly, earning a glare from Sasuke out of the corner of his eye.

They were standing right next to the box and people were slowly swarming around them, dropping anything from old torn stuffed toys to new fancy jewelery into the box...or more so, the very long rectangular shaped crate. It was actually getting filled with lots of items. And to think...each one of those had a story behind them somebody wanted to leave behind. The thought slightly amused Sasuke.

Naruto glanced beyond the crate down the hill that lead to the river. The raft that would carry the burning crate down the waters was readied for when they'd ship off everybody's old unwanted memories. The sun was set, but a dark tint of purple kissed the horizon, and with a small overcast of light from the tree's showering down, the atmosphere was set. It was peaceful.

Naruto started humming softly to himself as he pulled out a piece of folded paper from his pocket. He and Sasuke were now in the same white shirts as Sakura, and in the same dark baggy pants. Neither had their headbands on their heads, allowing their hair to flow freely by the barely noticeable breeze.

Sasuke glanced at the paper Naruto was unfolding.

"I thought it was perfect." Naruto mumbled in a gentle monotone. Sasuke's eyes widened as when the paper was unfolded, he seen an identification slip. It was the first one Naruto had taken back when he was a genin...the picture with the white face paint and the moronic pose. Yep, very nostalgic.

"I guess it's time to grow up a bit. I need to start taking responsibility for the people in the village if I'm going to become Hokage one day." Naruto's lips carved into a giant grin, earning a snort from Sasuke. Naruto then gave him a slightly pained look, all the while keeping his grin. "What? Nobody said I had to lose all my wonderful immaturity? I'm just saying!" Naruto laughed as he dropped the paper into the crate. Sasuke watched it hit the other items, and then he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out something that caught Naruto's attention immediately.

It was the headband. The one with the scratch right through the Konoha emblem. Without hesitation, Sasuke held it over the edge of the box and released it, not bothering to watch where it landed. Now his eyes drifted up to the night sky and he let out a very heavy sigh.

"I guess we're all taking a bit of responsibility now." Naruto added thoughtfully after a moment, causing Sasuke to glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

And a small smirk quickly made it's way onto his face, vanishing just as fast...

The two slowly made their way back through the children and elders making their own way toward the box. Naruto was a step ahead of Sasuke, who was deep in thought as his head was tilted up watching the night sky.

It was so clear. You could see every cabalistic illumination being let off from the endless amount of stars. Somewhere in the comely night sky, he could feel it. It was a strange feeling that beyond the dusky black color that coated the sky, there were wishes...wishes cast into the infinity made by people from all around the world. Maybe that was what fueled the stars?

Even Sasuke had to admit...out of the trillion wishes made on every shooting star...he, too, had some up in the infinity. Most were made in his childhood, and he couldn't even remember if they had come true. But as his mind raced with uncertainty, he found one thing he was curious about as he glanced up into the heavens.

_Eternity._

A place where it all came together...and it never fell apart...

He closed his eyes and scoffed to himself at such a stupid idea.

_That doesn't exist. Not even in dreams._

And as he peeled his eyes open slowly, he seen a brilliant streak cross the pale black sky. A shooting star. For some reason, at that moment, his heart jumped.

What the hell? Why not make a wish?

_Sakura..._

Sasuke bent his head down and raised his eyebrows, feeling a sense of stupidity for actually thinking about that at a time like this.

_Sakura, Sakura, Sakura. How do I feel about Sakura?_

"Heh...I wish I had an answer to that...because I'm tired of answering that question." He muttered sarcastically under his breath.

"Huh?" Naruto asked obnoxiously, making Sasuke jump. He hadn't actually realized he had said that out loud, until Naruto's voice jolted him from his confusing contemplations.

"N-Nothing." Sasuke replied quickly.

Naruto shrugged. "Well alri-"

"Naruto."

Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks, instantaneously causing Naruto to stop just a foot ahead of him and look back at him with a puzzled look.

"You were right."

Naruto raised his eyebrows at Sasuke's words. "I was right?"

"Hn."

"But I'm never right."

Sasuke shot him a glare, clearly showing him he was serious. Naruto's mouth popped into an evil smile at this and he stepped closer to Sasuke, making him feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Wait, wait, wait. Let's get this in writing...Sasuke, did you just say I'm-"

"I'm going to tell her."

And suddenly, Naruto's words cut off...his eyes opened wide. And he just stared at Sasuke...who had a completely serious expression on his face. Naturally, after this, Naruto wasn't sure how he felt about 'being right'.

Silence.

Silence.

_Taru!!_Naruto's heart dropped into his stomach and he felt a bit nautious. "S-so...you're going to tell her...that you love her?" His voice wavered.

"No."

Now a loud 'huh' bellowed from Naruto's mouth. The nervousness was leaving. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

Sasuke sighed. "I'm telling her how I feel, you idiot."

Naruto groaned. "And, how _exactly _do you feel?!" His voice was slightly agitated. _Damn you, Sasuke! You're too confusing!_

"Dunno."

Now Naruto just didn't care. He shook his head, muttering 'okay, I don't care' ever so softly just to ease his nerves, while Sasuke thought about that himself. What was he actually planning on telling her?

As Taru drifted back into Naruto's thoughts, he slowly tried to reassure himself that everything was okay. What's two guys confessing to the same girl in one night?? Sakura could handle it. Right?

_Yeah! Yeah! Besides...Taru won't take advantage of Sakura's vulnerabilities toward Sasuke like Kalei did with Sasuke...right? He's nothing like her._

But as if God was trying to frazzle Naruto to no end, when he turned his head to the left, down through the people a ways...he seen Taru talking to a young child. A familiar young child. Naruto's breathe hitched in his throat as he seen Kiako giggling and handing some things to Taru. They were talking like they were close...too close...

_If he knows Kiako...he'd have...to...know Kalei...considering Kalei's crazy protective of Kiako...so then that means...Taru knows Kalei._

And by the looks of it..._really _well.

Now...maybe it was just the fact that Naruto was panicking already about how _both _Sasuke and Taru were going to confess to Sakura tonight...but just knowing Taru and Kalei were friends made him worried...uncomfortable...pissed? Whatever.

"Not good." He mumbled aloud. He quickly turned to Sasuke, who glanced at him questioningly. "I"m sorry." Naruto blurted quickly with wide eyes. Sasuke raised his eyebrows, giving Naruto a look that said he was a complete moron...and that he had no idea what he was talking about what-so-ever.

"I kkkiiinnndddaaa-"

"N-Naruto."

Interrupted by a soft stuttering voice, Naruto turned round and seen Hinata, face beat red...and at the same time, Shizune's voice bellowed through the air that it was now the beginning of the confession ceremony. Naruto blinked a couple of times, confused as why Hinata was acting so strange. It had been a while since he had seen her like this. Sasuke just stared at Hinata with a bored expression. He had never really talked to her much so he was curious as to what kinda of relationship she and Naruto had.

"Yo, Hinata. What's up?" Naruto asked as cheerfully as possible. Hinata twirled her fingers down by her lap and looked up at Naruto. She took one deep breath and prepared her words.

Silence.

"I love you, N-Naruto!"

Silence...

More silence...

_More _silence...

Sasuke's eyes widened, and now that bored look...was _completely _amused. He noticed from his peripheral vision that Naruto's eyes were wide, lips were slightly parted, and cheeks were flaming red. He couldn't help but find that slightly funny. He shook his head softly and turned to walk away before he let out an interested snort.

Naruto, on the other hand, just blinked. Over and over again. Hinata's lips were trembling and as if it were possible, it looked like the dark shade of red already present on her cheeks was getting even _darker_.

_Huh._

Naruto cleared his throat and looked around. He wasn't trying to be hurtful or anything...but...he had something he needed to take care of. Sasuke was his _best _friend...and if Sasuke _ever _found out that Naruto had told Taru to confess to Sakura...well, he'd _kill _him. So he needed to take care of that...and _fast_.

"H-Hinata..." Naruto's voice cracked and he looked behind him to make sure Sasuke was gone.

_Shit! That means he's going to find Sakura!_

It was then when he looked back at Hinata, he seen tears forming in her eyes. She was so nervous.

_Get it together, Naruto!_

He forced a sincere smile onto his face and held his finger up to Hinata.

"Hold that thought." He sang out. He turned around, and as he did, he noticed faintly a small tear had escaped her eye and started to slowly flow down her cheek. When he was turned completely around he stopped, turned back to Hinata quickly, stepping close to her, and wiped away the tear on her cheek. The feeling of his finger against her face made her flush. Automatically after that, he turned around and took off to take care of the problem he had created.

Hinata just stood there, eyes wide.

What did 'hold that thought' mean exactly?

* * *

He felt himself hit the floor roughly on his butt...with tight ropes tied around his wrists and feet. Oh, did I mention he couldn't see a thing?

Naruto ripped off the blindfold quickly, allowing Taru to slowly peel his eyes open and notice that he actually still couldn't see anything. It was completely dark all around them.

"Naruto?!" He asked, dumbfounded.

"Ya."

"Where are we?" Taru chimed in a surprisingly calm tone.

"An old warehouse that stored some of the tools and decorations for this whole festival and stuff. It's just a little ways from where the fire's being held." Naruto answered, lighting a small candle in front of him. It was barely enough to illuminate the small space between him and his captive friend.

Taru's eyes started to focus in on Naruto. "So uh, Naruto...what the hell are you doing?" His voice was sarcastic and light, almost like he was speaking to a slow child.

Naruto scratched the back of his head and let out a sarcastic laugh.

_Yeah, right...what AM I doing?_

"Oh..and why the hell am I tied up in a dark warehouse?" Taru added once more...his tone now becoming lower and firmer.

"See...look, Taru-"

"I don't have time for this, Naruto! Untie me!"

"I can't!" Naruto shouted back, causing Taru to shake his head and look at him like an idiot.

"What does that mean!?"

Just moments earlier...Naruto had so stealthily ambushed Taru, tied him up, brought him to this abandoned building...and did it all under the influence of Sasuke.

Naruto sighed heavily. "Well, remember earlier today when I said Sasuke was my best friend...and I'd do anything for him? We'll you and I are friends but..."

Taru let out a small 'che' and halted Naruto's words. "What are you saying? What's going on?"

Naruto cleared his throat and took a step back. "I can't let you confess to Sakura."

Taru's eyes widened curiously. He wanted so much to punch Naruto right in the jaw right now. He didn't have time for this!

And before Taru could ask why, he slowly seen the door open on the other side of the warehouse, allowing in a very dim light that barely reached him...but much to his dismay, it illuminated somebody standing right next to the door inside the building...the one who opened it...the one who in the shadows, looked nothing but dangerous.

_Sasuke._

And there he stood, his face serious, cold red eyes piercing his own...and even Taru had to admit...it was a bit frightening.

Naruto groaned a bit, feeling uneasy about what he was doing. "I can't let you because if you confess to Sakura...thing is..." A small awkward pause followed that.

"The thing is...she might actually fall for it." Sasuke finished coldly, causing Taru to narrow his eyes at him. "Sorry Shoukei, she'll always be just a little too good for you." Sasuke finished.

Naruto spun around, feeling irritated with Sasuke for making him do this. "You don't have much time. Get going already!" He shouted irritably at Sasuke, who nodded and proceeded to walk out the door. Naruto just stood for a moment until Sasuke was out of sight, and then he turned around and seen Taru with his head bent down. Suddenly, an uneasiness grew between them.

"I'm sorry. Look, don't give it much thought. I wouldn't worry about Sasuke saying anything to her." Naruto muttered quietly, bending down onto his knee's and placing the candle beside him. He reached around Taru and started to untie the rope binding his wrists together.

"Oh yeah...he'll only tell her he loves her." Taru grumbled solemnly, and very sarcastically.

"He won't. He told me he isn't going to say anything like that because he isn't sure exactly what he's feeling himself." Naruto explained calmly. With those words, Taru glanced up at him curiously.

"So...why shouldn't I worry then?"

"Because...Sakura isn't going to forgive him so easily. Actually..." Naruto paused and a grin overcame him serious expression. He managed to undo the ropes as they fell to the floor behind Taru, and Taru instantly starting tending to the ropes around his ankles. "I have a strong feeling Sakura will send him packing. You know what she's like."

"Oh yeah." Taru chuckled out, undoing the ropes on his ankle. He rubbed his wrists and sighed, leaning back on the wall behind him. "Maybe it was a good idea you stopped me. I don't want to look stupid in front of her. Besides...I don't know if I was ready to say 'I like you' or anything." He said thoughtfully, his hazel eyes glistening from the dim light entering the room.

Naruto stood up and suddenly Hinata came rushing into his mind.

_"I love you, N-Naruto!"_

His head started spinning.

What to do, what to do...

* * *

She slowly walked along the gravel road leading to the gates of the open area the fire was being held in. Konoha had open land around the outskirts of it, and so on one of those patches they had decided to hold the fire. She was quite a ways from everybody now and could only hear the faint melodies of the music playing. She could hear an occasional child scream happily at the top his or her lungs and the hustle and bustle of people getting ready to set the burning box down the river. For some reason, her heart felt heavy...a feeling of self-disappointment overcoming her.

In the end she just couldn't do it.

Sakura had made her way up to the crate just a half hour or so earlier, taking deep breathes with every movement, telling herself '_I can do this...I can do this!_'...but in the end...she just couldn't. She had his necklace in hand and was right next to the box...only to stand there numb for a few minutes. It was then when she spotted Naruto and Sasuke on the opposite side of the box that she chickened out last minute. She had quickly turned around before they had seen her and made her way through the people to watch as everybody exercised their own will power by throwing away unnecessary memories. But she just couldn't do it. And that made her feel so pitifully weak.

She had told herself that throwing away his necklace was a symbol of her own strength...and besides, she didn't need it. Repeatedly, she said to herself that the necklace was simply a leash he could keep her on...reminding her of her weak heart and foolish motives. No, she did not need that necklace. She didn't even _want_ it.

Or at least that's what she kept telling herself.

But that little voice inside her head kept doubting. She was making her feelings out to be more mind over what matters...and that just didn't feel right to her. If she had to keep telling herself she didn't need it...then obviously her heart was telling her she should keep it. Then...didn't that mean something? Something at all?

She sighed heavily, reaching into her pocket to feel the necklace. She ran her fingers over it gently and then pulled her hand out. Her eyes were glued to the road ahead of her, tracing patterns in the small pebbles that made up the street. Her mind was just blank...her eyes weary. She was tired, confused, upset, disappointed...it just all made her feel like sleeping in a warm bed and dreaming away her problems. All she needed now was to walk through those gates...they so much felt like an escape for her now...

_Arrr, what am I doing?!_

She stopped and sighed even heavier.

_I can't be like this. It's no time to get all lazy and down on myself. Get a grip, Sakura!_

Yeah, but even words didn't cure everything.

She slowly brought her head up to look in front of her because she knew she was close to the gates, when much to her...shock? Dismay?...Whatever...she seen him.

_Sasuke_.

He was just standing there, hands in his pockets, slouching only a little to his right side...calm and ominous eyes gazing right up to her...a serious look engraved on his handsome face. Her face only stayed passive as she let her eyes melt into his.

What did he want?

It felt like an eternity of silence had passed...when it had only been around maybe a minute. All of a sudden, Sakura felt bitterness. What was he doing? What did Sasuke freaking _want_?!

"You feel like you're alone in this fight with yourself."

His low, suave voice reached her, making her listen intently to his words ringing through the tree's. Her eyes widened intently.

He paused for a moment.

"You don't know why but you know that when you're all alone...it feels like it's all crashing down."

Chills swept over her arms and she found herself growing angry and impatient. But yet...she listened closly to his every word.

He took a step toward her.

She picked up her foot and took a step back, her body still facing him. But even though she had moved one foot, the other wouldn't...it was like she was glued there.

"You hate looking back, so you won't turn around."

And she slowly brought her foot back up where it was, next to the other one. It was almost as if he was reading her like an open book. But she knew that wasn't possible.

Her pages were all torn and frayed.

"You fear if you cry that first tear, the tears won't stop falling down."

He took another step.

And she snapped.

"You wonder if you're where you're suppose to be!" She shouted back. He stopped for a moment, and she spotted a tiny smirk on his face.

He took another step.

Her heart started pounding.

"You're scared of what you might lose if you move away from who you were." She said again, her voice more controlled.

His smirk grew.

He took another step.

She felt a sting in her eyes.

"And you're afraid of who you'll be."

He stopped as her voice was now fragile...the same as her composure.

He was now only about three steps away from her...and their gaze never broke.

And he spoke.

"You're treading water just to keep from slipping under."

Her eyes narrowed.

He took another step.

She felt nervous.

So she spoke.

"You're wrong."

He took another step.

And the space in between them was basically closed...he could reach out and touch her so easily.

"I'm confessing for you, Sakura. I can see it."

She shook her head softly...but was he right?

He nodded his head behind him, making reference to the gates. Then...he smirked.

"The only way out is through everything you're running from."

She gasped softly.

He was talking about himself, wasn't he?

And he was completely right, wasn't he?

She was trying to run away from him. Run away from his memories. Her memories. Their memories.

She stared at him. He stared at her.

Time could have only slowed down at that moment, and all the noise in the world vanished. Under the starlit sky, he didn't seem so scary. And things didn't feel so wrong.

It felt like it lasted forever...and ended just as quick.

"So, I guess that means we'll be staying here a while?" A male voice rang out.

Sasuke looked up to his left to see Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo standing up in a tree...well hidden, with their chalkra just the same. Sakura, on the other hand turned to her left, leaving her back to the tree. She looked up into the sky, feeling the color rise to her cheeks. She didn't want them to see her blushing.

"I guess so." She heard Sasuke say after a brief pause.

So that's it. He confessed her weaknesses for her...like she did for him. So that's how it went.

She wanted to smile. She wanted to cry. She wanted to go back to that day. The day when he walked through those gates and left with nothing but promises to return.

Those couple of months back then...when they were so close...when she was so in love...they were okay, weren't they? It was all right, wasn't it?

Her eyes roamed through the sky...her mind roamed through memories...and her heart roamed through emotions.

_"Back then, we gave it our all. We neither lied, nor made mistakes. We didn't fail and didn't do anything wrong. And although at that time we did our best...the memories, the thoughts...time has passed and changed it all. Promises to tears. Vows to wounds. A dear person...into a wonderful memory. Inside the eternity."_

A shooting star passed through the sky...and without noticing it...she was crying. Crying...and smiling at the same time...and she stared into the stars...

_"If only there was such a thing as eternity."_

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_Desires Of A Childish Heart_


	13. Desires Of A Childish Heart

**Hello, my name is sammerzjean77...I'm new here...**

**Just kidding...but wow....can you say forever??? If you still read this story---review!**

**And if you even read my notes up here...put a :)(: at the end of your review. I just wanna see who reads this.  
****  
Hahaha thx!**

* * *

_Chapter Thirteen:  
Desires Of A Childish Heart_

_"I close my eyes and the flashback starts; I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air."_

* * *

Due to being friends with a numb skull like Naruto, Sasuke was prone to going on completely idiotic trips and whatever else with the blond.

It was the morning after the Ikiru festival and Naruto had barged into Sasuke's home, telling him that it was their 'day off' because working at the festival was 'so bothersome.' Which it really wasn't...but Naruto needed an excuse to be lazy anyway. So, he had woken Sasuke up and explained how he wanted to show him something...and when Sasuke had so clearly said no...Naruto promised he'd like it.

So naturally, Naruto took hold of Sasuke's arm and pulled him along for the ride.

Which was a mistake...

As it always turns out to be when you're with Naruto.

They were now quietly sneaking through some medium size bushes and tree's around a somewhat oasis-like pond just outside the village. Sasuke, who was muttering incoherent swear words, finally decided to ask what the hell they were doing.

They now were crouched down behind a bush in a sandy area...and Naruto's snickering was making Sasuke slightly uncomfortable.

"What are we doing?" He hissed, causing the hyperactive blond to 'shh' him.

"You can't be loud." He whispered back, making Sasuke glare at him in return.

It was then that a faint tune of feminine laughter reached them, along with the noise of splashing water. And instantly Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the hair and shoved his face into the sand, earning a grunt from the poor boy.

"You pulled me out here to _spy_ on _girls_?" He hissed once again, this time more viciously. Naruto groaned and attempted to shake his head though Sasuke wouldn't allow that. "You really are a total loser!"

"Would you prefer it be _guys_?!" Naruto brought his hand up and started slapping at Sasuke's arm until he released his grip. Naruto then looked up at Sasuke with a hurt expression.

"We're not _spying. _And it's not just random girls. You should be more thankful." Naruto whispered in a fake, sad tone.

Sasuke just blinked.

"Thankful?"

"Yep."

"..."

"..."

"I'll kill you."

Naruto sighed and looked forward, now prying his hands into the bush to create a peep hole.

"This was just one of the many things you picked up from Jiriaya, wasn't-"

"It's actually kind of fun when-"

"You're a fucking _moron_-"

"Shut up, you bastard."

So, while Naruto had created a nice-sized peep hole, Sasuke was sitting on his knee's, glaring at Naruto's back with an anger six times anything he had ever felt before. A couple moments passed and the occasional giggle was heard off in the distance.

And then...for some strange reason...his curiosity got the better of him. When Naruto pulled his head back, ready to say something...Sasuke pushed his face away and decided to just take a quick look for himself.

And then...well...then he felt utterly stupid.

He now knew who the laughter was coming from.

Tenten, Ino, and Hinata were splashing around in the middle of the small body of water.

Now it made sense why the stupid fool wanted to come out here and spy on them.

But still.

Sasuke pulled his head back and glared at Naruto.

"She says she loves you...so you spy on her when she wears little clothing?" His tone made Naruto sound like an idiot...which, he was.

Naruto let out a faint 'che'. "She's cute. Don't act like you're not the _slightest _bit interested." He nodded his head in the direction of the girls.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I'm not acting."

Naruto groaned and pointed at the tiny hole in the bush. "Fine. You know what, tilt your head so you can see to the right...by the tree."

Sasuke hesitated.

Naruto nodded his head toward the bush again...and Sasuke rolled his eyes, now bending down to peek once more.

He slowly pushed away the leaves and sighed. "You're such a loser, Naruto. Why did you have to drag me..."

He stopped mid sentence, eyes widening...as he could now see a tree by the oasis with somebody...Kurenai...sitting down underneath it...and somebody else...now removing their shirt and standing in nothing but a pink bikini...standing next to her...

And now Sasuke knew why Naruto and brought him along.

"Sakura, right?" Naruto whispered childishly, chuckling beside him.

Sasuke bit down on his tongue to keep from swearing loudly at Naruto. He watched as Sakura slowly made her way toward the water with the other three, tying her hair up as she slowly entered the oasis.

"Sakura's pretty hot. You're totally thinking the same thing, aren't you?"

"No."

"Don't lie. I don't blame blame you. I totally wish I could have that body, too." Naruto's devilish snicker's released. He just loved annoying Sasuke. But this time, it didn't work.

Sasuke turned to him with a triumphant smirk on his face. "Wish? I've _had _it."

Naruto's jaw dropped open and his face flushed. "No way, you bastard! How far have you made it with Sakura?!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, finding this game a bit amusing. "How far have you made it with _Kalei_?"

Naruto attempted to close his mouth, only to bite his lip and let out little whimpers. After that, he didn't let his eyes meet Sasuke's.

_Oh god._

Sasuke put it together by the increasing shade of fuchsia on Naruto's skin. "You..._slept _with her, didn't you?"

He was hoping for a no, or at least no answer...but that wasn't what he got.

"Well, didn't you and Sakura?"

"N-no." Sasuke cleared his throat and looked at Naruto with an emotionless stare.

Naruto sighed with relief. "I see. I didn't really think so. That's good."

Sasuke perked his eyebrow in interest at those words.

"It was only once, and it wasn't what I expected. And it was so long ago. It meant nothing." Naruto finished, his face slowly returning to its normal pigmentation.

Sasuke frowned and turned his head to look back through the bush. What was he suppose to say to that? Not only was he completely shocked...he was upset. Just a bit, though. Just a bit.

A moment of silence passed and then Naruto realized that Sasuke was still staring out at Sakura.

_Muahahahahahahahahahaha!_

"Oh! _Naruto, you're such a loser_! _Naruto, you're such a moron_! Oh, hey _Sasuke_! _Sasuke_! Who's the pervert _now_?!"

And instantly Sasuke grabbed the back of Naruto's head and drove his face into the sand once more. He glanced out at the oasis once more and then looked back at Naruto, who was angrily squirming.

"How did you know they'd be out here, anyway?" Sasuke asked, acting bored. He released Naruto, who instantly glared up at him and growled.

"I went out for breakfast with Kakashi and he said that he gave Kurenai the okay to take the girls and have a day to relax. He said she mentioned something about this area and I came to check it out. No big deal." Naruto grinned up at Sasuke, who looked away and rolled his eyes.

Naruto peeked through the bushes once more until Sasuke grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him away. Naruto blinked thrice at Sasuke who sighed and stared in the opposite direction of Naruto.

"What?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Let's go."

Naruto's mouth dropped open. "Huuuuhhh?" _Perfect seats, you dumbass?!?!_

"I won't be caught dead out here with you."

But Naruto could see the small hue of crimson casting across his cheeks.

Sasuke slowly started making his way back through the bushes, leaving Naruto gawking at him, dumbfounded.

But after a moment...Naruto exhaled and trailed after him.

* * *

"And as I suspected, they decided to come down for a short visit."

Kurenai laughed gently while Kiako, who was sitting beside her, gently rubbed her stomach. Kakashi was leaning his back against the tree, on the opposite side of where Sasuke and Naruto were previously hiding...thus, they couldn't see him.

Kurenai glanced up at him with cheerful eyes. "I think it's great how close you are with those two. Naruto really looks up to you...and well, Sasuke's also very close to you. They both have a heart of gold."

Kakashi let out a very, _very_, quiet snort. "Sasuke? Heart of gold? Maybe heart of bronze...if he's lucky."

Kurenai shook her and laughed once more. Kiako got up onto her feet and walked around to Kakashi's right, grabbing onto his pants.

"Well, whatever. Anyways, I'm glad you decided to stop by...and thank you for taking such good care of me lately. But you shouldn't worry so much, and I really wish Shikamaru wouldn't worry either. Soon, I'll be having this baby and I know his protectiveness will only increase. I don't want him to feel so responsible."

"Let him."

Kurenai's eyes widened as she glanced out at the four girls in the water.

Kakashi spoke again. "It was his promise to Asuma. He knows what he wants to be responsible for. Don't take that way from him."

Kurenai's heart wrenched.

But she smiled.

"You're right."

* * *

It was a little later in the afternoon now, and Sasuke was slowly walking down the street with Suigetsu. Karin and Juugo were lying around his house...and this slightly upset him...because he didn't like the idea of having to deal with all three of them everyday. But they needed to stay somewhere...and last night, Sakura had so reluctantly offered to consult Shizune about offering them a tiny home to live in for a while. Given that she even allowed them to stay in the village.

But Sakura hadn't done that yet, so basically, Suigetsu was strolling around the village without permission, thinking that he could. But because he was with Sasuke, nobody really dared to tell him otherwise.

"So, where'd you head to this morning? That stupid blond boy snuck in and pulled you out of the house so fast I didn't have time to call him a moron and tell him to knock first." Suigetsu asked, his hands behind his head.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and looked off to his right, opposite of Suigetsu. "Don't ask." He groaned bitterly, remembering how they so pitifully spied on their _friends_.

Suigetsu growled and starting dragging his feet. "Fine then. So, are you sure it's okay we bunk at your place for the time being?"

Sasuke now rolled his eyes back to scowl at Suigetsu, who avoided his gaze by glowering at the people walking by.

"I never even said it was-"

"'Cause you know, Karin's probably going to sneak into your bed and try to-"

"-Suigetsu."

"Hey, I'm only saying. It's not like it's the first time she's had her hands all over you-"

"Suigetsu!"

Suigetsu grinned and stopped talking while Sasuke twitched angrily and distastefully at the thought of Karin and him sleeping together in a bed. Rawr.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd like that idea. And neither would Sakura, am I right?"

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Sasuke's head, causing him to close his eyes tightly and gasp as quietly as possible. He slowly brought his hand up to the side of his head and took deep breathes, waiting for the throbbing to increase. Because he knew it would.

"Who cares. I'm not interested in either of them."

"Oh, you lie."

"Suigetsu, shut up."

"You're a lying liar...who _lies_!"

"I'm warning you."

"_Fine_! Fine, then I'll just take Sakura home myself and make _sweet_, _sweet_-"

It was only then that Suigetsu stopped talking and looked behind him to see Sasuke standing still, glaring at him with the sharingan. Clearly pissed. Suigetsu shook his head and waved his hands in front of him, all the while unable to suppress the grin on his face.

"That's not even fair. You come here, have the chance to have her all to yourself...and _suddenly_, you're not interested? Which...it's _obvious _you are, so why deny it? I mean...you're only _real _choice at women over the past year was _Karin_...but ugh. Naturally, that's unacceptable. So come _on_...I mean, we're at the village because of _Sakura_...which isn't really on my list of smartest things ever but-"

"-We are here...because...well, you _brought _me here...but we're staying...because..." Sasuke's voice trailed off as the throbbing slowly increased. He felt his body growing hot and numb, and his ever barren eyes were burning now that the sharingan had disappeared from them.

Suigetsu took a few steps up to Sasuke and rested both his hands on his sinewy shoulders, causing Sasuke to lower his arm to his side and glance at Suigetsu inquiringly.

"I know. We're here because of Madara and the damn Akatsuki."

Sasuke's lips drew into a tight line. _Yes, that's exactly why we're here._

"Though Sakura's awesome, that pink haired chick is just a distraction, but that's okay. We'll deal with it. I have people out around this land and the others on constant watch looking for those S-class criminals, and the minute we find them...we'll get to Madara...and completely annihilate him." Suigetsu said confidently.

Sasuke's face now grew stoic, though the pain was still intense. He was a pro at keeping his self-possessed physiognomy.

"And I believe this but you know...I was curious as to why you let Tsunade and that black haired chick go off to find Madara. I mean, you told me that's where they were going." Suigetsu continued, a now thoughtful expression replacing the ever present grin.

Sasuke scowled. "An assumption."

_But I'm almost completely positive that's where she went._

"Well whatever. Point is, when we went to find Itachi...all you said was 'leave him to me, he's mine'...and we did. But you were set on taking care of him _yourself_. Now...you're fine with letting somebody _else _get rid of your prey? That's unlike you. I agree with using Konoha to take care of the other flea's in the Akatsuki...but don't let some half-rate ninja from this village attempt to take down _you're _prize, Sasuke."

Sasuke thought back on that. He was right. He was changing back into what he was about a year ago...but it was happening much faster. Somehow, he needed to keep his priorities in mind.

"Hn."

A grin screwed it's way onto Suigetsu's face once more.

"You're destruction at it's finest, Sasuke Uchiha. You need nobody else."

Sasuke blinked a couple times, keeping his calm composure. Suigetsu's face grew mischievous and sneaky.

"Well, except _me_, of course. Now, Konoha? Those elders ...they are everything we _hate_...but they have everything we _need_."

Sasuke smirked to himself. "I'm not concerned with pleasing all those little _pricks _and all their little schemes."

Suigetsu was completely right.

He brought his arms down and scratched the back of his head. He started to walk off and waved to Sasuke.

"Good. Just keep that in mind, got it? I have no doubts about what we're doing here. I know you haven't lost sight of your true goal. I'm heading out...I'll be back soon." Sasuke watched him pause and look back, that annoying sneer never leaving his aspect. "Oh, by the way...I meant what I said about Sakura."

The corner of Sasuke's lips raised. It was just like Suigetsu to attempt to bring comic relief to the situation. "That she's a distraction?" He asked.

Suigetsu's eyes twinkled. "No, about making sweet, sweet-"

"Leave."

"Alright, alright. Later!"

And he then walked away, leaving Sasuke to groan and deal with his oncoming episode.

* * *

Sakura was sitting on the ledge of the pond she had seen Kalei at just days ago. The sun was shining bright overhead, causing a glare to shoot up from the waters ahead of her.

She was enjoying just being able ot relax, but still...with Tsunade not around...Shizune was keeping her busy with work...and that meant no missions. No nothing. Which bored her. But oh well...she'd only be going on missions with Taru and Sai anyway...which was okay but...it wasn't Naruto and Sasuke.

Which wasn't Team 7.

Which wasn't really interesting at all.

And wasn't what she had in mind.

She sighed as she listened to the children laughing and wresting on the other side of the pond. Secretly, she wish she could find some entertainment of her own. Something to keep all the random nothingness out of her mind.

She groaned quietly to herself, quirking her eyebrows and closing her eyes tightly against the rays shooting off the crystal waters. She was in a long white skirt and a pink button up t-shirt...nice casual clothing. Her hair was down, and without her headband tying up her hair, she had strands falling in around her face.

Slowly, she went over everything that had happened over the past few weeks. There was so many things she wanted to know. Like, who Madara Uchiha was exactly...where the Akatsuki were and what they were doing...where Tsunade was...where Kalei was. She hadn't seen Kalei last night at all.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open.

Light bulb on!

_No way...they couldn't...both be on a mission together...could they?_

"Pretty lady!"

Sakura jumped, sharply inhaling the air. All of thoughts left her mind as she fortunately, or unfortunately, found her piece of entertainment. She looked to her left to see the little girl that tripped in front of her a while back, Kiako...and also Kalei's little sister, sitting down next to her. Her long dark blue hair was sprawled all across her shoulders. She had on a spaghetti strap white dress that reached her knee's and had many ruffles on the bottom. She was barefoot, and this time, had no dirt on her face. And as her dark blue eyes stared lively up at Sakura, she couldn't help but notice she was a very beautiful little girl.

Much like her sister.

"K-Kiako, right?" Sakura stuttered, still a little jumpy from Kiako popping into thin air. "You surprised me."

Kiako giggled strongly, her nasally voice throwing Sakura from her peaceful tranquility.

"W-What are you doing?" Sakura asked curiously as the little girl started kicking her legs against the ledge. She scooted closer to Sakura, trying to be secretive about it...and in turn, Sakura, scooted away again.

"Waiting."

Sakura blinked thrice.

"Waiting for who?"

"A boy."

A light smile galloped onto Sakura's face. "A boy, huh? What does this little boy look like?"

Kiako shook her hair and giggled lightly. "He's not _little_."

Sakura leaned into her left shoulder a bit and her smile widened. "Oh? Well what does he look like?"

"I dunno." Kiako replied happily.

Sakura's smile twisted into a confused frown.

_Strange little girl._

"Do you even know this boy?"

"I know _about _him."

Sakura laughed to herself. Was she this crazy as a little girl? All those childish dreams and false beliefs in fairy tales. How innocent.

How completely disgusting.

"Pretty lady, you know about him, too!"

That caught Sakura's attention. Her eyes narrowed quizzically at Kiako, who in turn popped a secretive smile. She had wanted to ask what she was talking about but decided against it, considering she didn't care much...and even though she hated to admit it, being around Kiako felt like being around Kalei, considering their appearances were almost creepily identical, putting the age difference aside. And Sakura, for one, didn't like being around Kalei all too much. Not that it wasn't clear enough.

"Oh, do I?" Sakura replied, coming off as a smart aleck.

Kiako nodded. "Yep, and I bet you know him really, really well."

Sakura now just stared at Kiako, curious, and annoyed.

"Sakura?"

She jumped, letting out a tiny, almost inaudible, squeal at the mention of her name from behind her. She glanced around her shoulder, as did Kiako, to see Sasuke standing a good distance away from them, giving Sakura a look that either said he didn't care to see her right now, or she was an idiot for playing with children in her spare time. Either way, a glow of maroon graced her countenance as she quickly stood to face him and waved.

He took a few steps toward them, and it was after she got over her slight embarassment, that she noticed a hint of agitation in his voice. But from what? She didn't do anything.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked calmly, clearing her throat and smoothing out her skirt.

Sasuke stopped and stretched out his neck, all the while ignoring the burning sensation boiling in the back of his skull.

"Going home. You?" He narrowed his eyes like a smart-ass at Kiako, who quickly jumped behind Sakura, making her sway with a slight loss of balance. Sasuke didn't get a good look at her, but she looked young enough to be classified as an annoying kid.

"I was...um..." Her voice trailed off as she scratched the back of her head. Kiako's fingers dug into the fabric of the skirt, and into her skin. "I don't know what I was doing." She mumbled to herself.

"That's him!"

Sakura let out a 'huh' as she stared down at a beat-red Kiako. Her wide blue eyes were zoomed in on a bored, not-paying-any-attention-what-so-ever, Sasuke...like he was her knight in shining armour.

"Ahh good. We're all here."

Both Sakura and Sasuke shot their gazes to the side to see Kakashi walking up to them, hands in pockets, eye crinkled...clearly a knavish leer upon his lips. Only Kiako did not sway her gaze that rested to strongly on Sasuke.

"K-Kakashi." Sakura stammered, glancing from Kiako to Kakashi. He waved at Sakura, (or did he wave a Kiako?), and then gestured his hand toward Sasuke, who was now scowling at him.

"Kiako," Kakashi bowed his head ever so slightly. "This is Sasuke. Don't be shy."

Sasuke glanced at the little girl with one eyebrow perked as she peeked her head around Sakura's hip. And then, with a burst of courage, Kiako pushed off of Sakura's hip and bolted towards Sasuke, arms outstretched and smile on her face, until she reached him and flung herself fully onto his torso. He swayed only a bit and brought his arms up into the air, staring down at her with a look of shock and anger.

_What the hell?!_

"Kn-knock it off!" Sasuke said loudly, not quite a shout though. But Sakura heard his voice crack. Clearly, Kiako was popping his personal bubble.

And Kiako only buried her face deeper into his stomach, giggling...and slightly tickling him (though he'd never admit it.)

"Sasuke, Kiako's been wanting to meet you for a while now." Kakashi said, as Sakura walked over to him. She simply watched Sasuke being molested by the tiny child that looked more like an ornament on his muscular body that an anything else.

Sasuke let out a 'che' and proceeded to grab Kiako by the arms as gently as possible to pry her off. And as he did, she managed to grab hold of his black shirt while he held her away from his body. She stared up at him with wide eyes...almost as if she had just seen mommy kissing Santa Claus.

_"Why?" _Sasuke hissed fiercely, looking at Kakashi, not Kiako. He never really once payed attention to who she was or what she looked like...until Kakashi caught his interest.

"She's heard a lot about you."

With that, Sasuke slowly turned his glower to Kiako, finally taking in her appearance.

And Sakura watched as it must have slowly hit him.

His eyebrows relaxed, his tight grip on her arms loosened, his eye's widened, and his lips parted slightly. And he stared.

"K-Kiako." He muttered softly as the name rang through his throbbing head.

_-_

_Kalei took a deep breath and looked down at the floor. "A week after that, my little sister, Kiako, was born. I've only met her once and that was when I went back to the Sand village for my father's funeral. I haven't seen my mother since then either."_

-

His eyes widened even more after that memory came back into his head.

She looked like Kalei. _So _much like Kalei.

"Big sister talked about you all the time. Lele really likes you, so I want to like you too!"

He felt a weird knotting sensation in his stomach and another sharp pain shot through his skull. He brought his arms to his side and took a step back, only staring at Kiako as if she were the plague.

"Lele..." He took a deep breathe.

_Lele must be Kalei._

All the while, Sakura bit her lip...feeling...what, jealous, that Kiako was having such an impact on him. Maybe it was just the fact that seeing Kiako made her think of Kalei herself...so she could just imagine what it was doing to Sasuke.

"You're first mission, _again_, Sasuke...and _Sakura_..." Kakashi murmured, bringing his arm around Sakura's shoulders and pulling her into his side. She glanced up at him and then over to Sasuke, who was now staring quizzically at their ex-sensei.

"...is to watch Kiako for tonight and part of tomorrow. I'll pick her up sometime during the day."

Both Sasuke and Sakura let their jaws drop while one felt nervous about it...and the other, disgusted.

"That's not a _mission_!" Sakura hissed, pushing herself away from Kakashi. She raised her fist in front of her, gritting her teeth at him.

_She _was the one who felt disgusted.

"She's right." Sasuke growled back, running a hand through his hair. "I refuse."

Kakashi shook his finger at Sasuke. "You _can't_. Lady Hokage left me the authority to make decisions like this, and Sasuke...you're going to build yourself up....starting with a small mission-"

"So, _why_ am I doing it _with _him?!" Sakura took a step toward Kakashi, readying her hand in a fighting position, and Kakashi, smart enough to know her strength, took a step back and let out a nervous chuckle.

"Good company?" He tried, as if not knowing the answer to that question. This only caused Sakura to now clench her fist tighter.

_I'll be damned if I'm putting up with this brat with him!!!_

Kiako watched gleefully, finding the whole scene quite amusing.

"I'm not doing this alone." Sasuke broke into the argument

Now Sakura looked at Sasuke, face _completely _insulting, almost bearing the words 'Are you a fucking moron? I've met _fish _I'd rather spend more time with than you.'

"_You're _the one who needs to start small. You only want to drag me down with you!"

"I'll find complete pleasure in watching you suffer with me."

"You're a sadistic bastard."

"Sakura!" Kakashi groaned, watching Kiako's eyes widen at her colorful vocabulary.

"Not sadistic. Bored. Enlighten me."

"Enlighten _this_!" She fumed, raising her middle finger to him. He only smirked and let out a 'hn' under his breathe.

"That didn't make any sense." He sang out, and as Sakura was in position to lunge at him and beat him to a bloody pulp, Kakashi held his arm out in front of her, making her stop and glare up at him now.

"_This _is why you're going to watch her _together_. No if's, and's, or but's." Kakashi now shouted firmly, earning scowls from the two.

"But I don't want to!" They shouted in unison.

* * *

Sakura slowly opened the door and stepped inside Sasuke's home, removing her shoes and coat. With her, she had a small bag that contained some clothes to sleep in.

Kakashi had made it clear that they were _both _going to watch Kiako tonight...and _because _Sakura had a point, that she didn't need to be messing around with stupid little missions like this, Kakashi said that Sasuke would be taking Kiako to his house for the night and Sakura would be able to go home, get whatever she needed, and stay the night there. She'd be able to leave in the morning, leaving Kiako in Sasuke capable, or not capable, hands. But still...Sakura couldn't help but find it cruel and unusual that Kakashi do this to her. Did he not know how awkward and painful it was to be with Sasuke? And to be with him _overnight_? Nonetheless...staying at his _house_?! It was enough to make Sakura want to punch him a thousand times.

So everything was screwed up, pissing Sasuke off to an unbelievable extent. Juugo, Karin, and Suigestu had to leave...Kakashi's request...and Sasuke had managed to talk Naruto into letting them stay for one night...because god forbid Sakura let them be at her house while she wasn't there. But still...neither of those three were happy about it...especially Karin, who was repulsed at the idea of _her _Sasuke allowing Sakura to stay the night. Even though he wasn't _her _Sasuke at all.

She heard something like glass hit a table and shrugged it off, making her way to the kitchen, where the only light was shining.

It was late now. Sakura had taken her sweet time getting her things to avoid having to be alone with Sasuke. And she wasn't sure what she thought about what she seen next.

Irritated or relieved?

She walked into the kitchen only to see Sasuke, sitting in a chair opposite side of the rectangular table of Suigetsu, who was standing, leaning into the table...face red...

Drinking saki.

Both of them.

Drinking saki.

_Sasuke drinking....Sasuke drinking....Sasuke...drinking?_

Sakura let out a held breathe and shook her head, walking over to the table. She set her bag down on the floor and glanced at Sasuke, who had his head in his hands, watching Sakura from the corner of his eye.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Oh, Sakura! Have I ever told you that you're beautiful?" Suigetsu chirped, earning a small, entertained smirk from Sakura.

"That's the alcohol talking." Sasuke chimed in, taking another sip from the bottle the two were sharing.

_Sharing..._

Sakura rolled her eyes and reached for the bottle from Sasuke's hands, only to have him pull away and take another drink just to irritate her.

"Are you okay? I've never seen you drink." She asked, trying to hide her irritation. Suigetsu took the bottle from Sasuke as soon as he set it on the table.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. "Headache. And I'm bored." He tilted his head. "And you're annoying."

"She is _not _annoying." Suigetsu interrupted, snapping at Sasuke, who only rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.

Sakura groaned. "Where's Kiako?"

"In her room. She's playing by _herself_, poor kid. But Sasuke's such an _ass_, that he'd never go play with her." Suigetsu snapped again, this time chuckling to himself right after. And yes, that remark earned a glare of it's own pointed directly at Suigetsu from Sasuke.

Sakura raised her eyebrows at a tipsy Sasuke. "You're not even watching her. Are you completely hopeless?"

Sasuke ran his hand through his hair and turned to the side of the table. "No. But I'm in pain." He nodded his head back, gesturing her to come over and try to heal some the pain that was tearing through his skull.

And despite his ability to hide it so well...really, it was _killing _him.

Sakura let out a small 'che', and walked over beside Suigetsu, who glanced at her curiously and then wrapped his arm around her waist. Funny how alcohol could make one so bold.

"No. Heal yourself. You know what I went through last time you were having one of your stupid episodes?"

"My apologies."

_No shit. You almost killed me, you dumb fuck._

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him dangerously until she heard a snicker from Suigetsu, and she glanced at him suspiciously from the corner of her eye. Sasuke now turned his body back to the table and screwed a nasty look of his own onto his face.

"You two. So hilarious. Sakura, dearest," Suigestu pulled her in a little closer and leaned his head in to whisper in her ear, causing her to blush a bit and feel fidgety. "Please just heal him, before he goes into an uncontrollable fit and takes it out on us."

Sasuke's eye twitched dangerous as Suigetsu slurred into her ear.

"He's had much more than you, hasn't he?" Sakura inquired about Suigetsu, ignoring the shark boy that was too close for comfort. She tried to shift away but he kept his hold firmly in place.

"Mmm." Sasuke groaned, nodding his head and taking another sip. He then slammed the bottle down as he noticed Suigetsu attempt to, _bite_, Sakura's ear?

"Suigetsu!" He roared, making Suigetsu chuckle slightly and pull away from Sakura, who was now pissed. She marched over to Sasuke's side of the table and snatched the saki away from him, only to direct his irritation at her now. She made her way over to the fridge and placed the saki in there, and then she walked over to Sasuke and slowly raised her hand up to his head. But before she could make contact, he swatted it away.

"_What_?!" She hissed. He grabbed her wrist tightly as she attempted to reach for his head again.

"I don't need you anymore."

"Oh _shut up_." She spat, pulling her wrist from his grasp. She then used her other wrist to grab and hold captive his hand that was desperately trying to stop her right hand from healing him. But once she had started pouring the chalkra into his skin, he calmed down and let her continue.

A moment passed and all that could be heard was Suigetsu's almost silent humming and Sasuke's deep breathes.

Silence.

"So-" Suigetsu spoke, halting at that. He didn't like the silence.

Sakura glanced at him while Sasuke seemed to pay no mind. But after a moment of staring at Sakura with twinkling eyes, Suigetsu resumed his thought. "You're so pretty."

"Damn it." Sasuke sighed and tilted his head back up to glare at the moron, causing Sakura's hands to lose their position. But when she tried to put her hands back on his head, he stood up and shrugged her off...all the while Suigetsu was quickly making his way out the door to avoid an angry. dangerous, and tipsy Sasuke.

Sakura exchanged glance between the two before she fixed her gaze on Sasuke, who was making his way upstairs.

"Where are you going?" She asked a bit angrily. Did he not even have the nerve nor decency to thank her?

"To throw up."

Sakura snorted at that. "You had _that _much? Or can't you handle your alcohol?"

He stopped mid stairway and scowled back down at her. "It's not _that. _There's a 7 year old _kid _staying in my house. I can't exactly be walking around with _alcohol _on my breath, now can I?"

Her eyes shot open wide. Wow...how very responsible of him. But before she could commend him...or more, _sarcastically _commend him, he turned around and stomped upstairs.

And stomped, he did.

* * *

After Sasuke had been unable to thrown up, taken a shower, brushed his teeth, and gotten ready to crash for the night, he and Sakura slowly walked down the hallway to Kiako's room. Sakura led, opening the door and peering inside to see Kiako sitting up in her bed in her light blue pajama's.

"Hey." Sakura whispered quietly, grabbing Sasuke by the hem of his pants and pulling him in behind her. Because she knew _damn _well he wouldn't have followed otherwise. She could just feel his nasty gaze on her back.

Kiako grinned up at her. "Hi, pretty lady."

Sasuke snorted, causing Sakura to punch him harshly in the stomach. He growled a bit as she sat on the bed.

"Tired?" Sakura asked the little girl, folding her hands in her lap.

"Kinda, a bit."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows.

"Well, we're going to go to bed so-"

"Together?" Kiako's eyes got wide.

Sasuke choked on air while Sakura cleared her throat awkwardly.

"No." They answered in unison.

"Oh." Kiako giggled. "Well, okay. Good night then, Sakura."

"Good-" Her words faded out as Sakura suddenly realized that that was the first time Kiako had called her by name. "Good night." She stood up as Kiako giggled once more.

Sakura shot Sasuke a look that cursed him for being so completely useless when she heard Kiako call out for him.

"Sasuke...will you stay with me for a while?"

Sasuke flinched, giving Sakura a pleading look. He hated this _'mission'_...if you could even call it that. But Sakura turned her head and walked out the door, pretending she hadn't heard a thing. She almost shut the door all the way, leaving it cracked open just a bit for the light to shine in.

After a moment, Sasuke sighed and walked over to sit where Sakura was sitting on the side of the bed.

"What is it?" He asked, staring at the floor in front of him. God, he was so bored. He was tired, and annoyed. And he couldn't stand looking at Kiako.

"I was wondering, were you close with my sister?"

He felt his stomach flip and he suddenly felt severely uncomfortable.

"Don't know."

Awkward silence.

"Lele said she really liked you. When she got to the village, she told me all about you. I really wanted to meet you after that."

Sasuke turned his head and looked at Kiako thoughtfully as she laid down and stared up at him with curious eyes. He seen a lot of Kalei in her.

-

Sakura brought her hands up to her mouth, trying to fight the burning sensation in her eyes.

She wanted to cry. But why? So what if Kalei really felt that strongly for Sasuke? That didn't mean he felt the same...did it?

_You're so stupid, Sakura! Next time ,don't waste your time spying on him!_

Truth was, after she had pretended to leave to go to sleep, she only stood outside the door listening. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her. But now she didn't care too much.

She slowly tiptoed down the hall so they couldn't hear her.

She wasn't interested anymore.

-

"She always got these looks on her face when she talked about you." Kiako's face now grew a bit serious and she grabbed tightly onto the blanket laying over her.

Sasuke nodded. He didn't know what else to do.

"Sakura looks at you the same way."

His eyes shot open and he suddenly felt a heavy feeling spread across his chest.

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly, his tone almost a whisper.

Kiako grinned up at him, making him feel even more weary.

"I think...that Sakura is in love with you."

Sasuke exhaled a deep breath, and a tiny smirk came upon his face. He couldn't help but feel like laughing at that.

_You have no idea._

Kiako just stared at him, inducing him to speak.

"You know what?" He whispered in his low, smooth voice.

Kiako's eyes grew mischievous.

"I think that, too."

Kiako's mouth opened to say something, but then she shut it quickly and tried to surpress her childish snickering.

Sasuke just shook his head, smirk still in place.

"But let's keep that our little secret, alright?" He continued, and instantly Kiako nodded her head viciously. Sasuke nodded back. "Alright. Get to bed." He poked her forehead and got to his feet, slowly turning around to walk out the door.

"Sasuke?"

He stopped when he reached the door, not looking back at her. "Yeah?"

"I think you love her, too."

And it _killed _Kiako not being able to see his face. Was it a stoic expression? A frown? A smile?

"Do you." He stated in a monotone voice, making his emotion even more mysterious.

"Do _you_?"

He smirked to himself.

"I'll let you sleep on that." He said before walking out the door and shutting it. He heard Kiako 'humph' inside, and that only left him with a small feeling of satisfaction. And from there...he made his way to his room.

* * *

But he just couldn't sleep.

He was now standing out on his balcony, staring out at the village as lights slowly turned on one by one. The stars were bright and enticing as the strong breeze blew around him.

He just couldn't help it. Being around Kiako was making him think of Kalei...

What was she doing? How has she been? Did she want to see him? Did she still care for him? And what about her and Naruto having...

_Give it a rest, Sasuke. It doesn't even matter._

The twist of questions in his mind grew tiresome and he rested both palms on the wooden ledge. Leaning into his arms, he let the breeze soak up his thoughts and let his heavy eyelids close. Were there really words to describe what was going on in his life right now? Could somebody really imagine how he was feeling at this point?

In the midst of his attempt at clearing his mind, he heard the balcony doors slide open slowly and with a strong gust of wind, caught the scent of mocha shampoo. Followed by that, was a voice that he unconsciously longed to hear.

"Well, that sucked. I feel like a mother."

The corner of his lips rose, and had he been in a slightly better mood, he would have probably laughed at her childish comment. He sensed her on his right, leaning into the balcony the same as him, only a bit steeper. He opened his eyes and watched her in his peripheral vision as she stared up at the night sky clouding the horizon of the village.

"Why are you out here?" He asked calmly, careful not to let her mistake his tone for bitterness.

She shrugged nonchalantly and he found himself tracing the patterns her hair made as it flopped in the wind.

"Don't you ever feel like it was easier when we were twelve?"

Sasuke exhaled a sarcastic and dreary laugh that lasted less than a second. "I don't know. We had a lot going on when we were twelve."

"Well maybe. I guess I did have it a bit hard."

He turned his stern gaze on her. "Do you have the slightest clue of what you just said to me? Hello? Who're talking to?"

Sakura flinched, thinking back on the moment Sasuke had received the curse mark. She remembered so vividly the pain she felt for him, and she could still only imagine the pain he had been in himself. And she thought she had the rough time.

"Well...sometimes now it just feels like too much."

He turned his cold eyes back to the sky. "You're rather depressing. It's tolerable."

Narrowing her eyes, she shot a dirty glare in his direction and added a fierce bite to her incredulous words. "You make it sound so easy."

He shrugged. "You make it sound so hard for you, when in fact, it's not."

She bared her teeth at him. "You don't even know me!" And with that, she turned on her heel quickly and stopped with her hand on the door when she heard his low voice.

"What's going on with us?"

If you've ever experienced that moment where suddenly the world shifts upside down and you could swear you just jumped off a cliff 3,000 feet high only to float with that sick feeling in your stomach, then you've experienced something like what Sakura felt in that split second.

Yet words betrayed her, and she had nothing to say.

"If I'm going to be here, we have to start over. Just as fellow shinobi. We have to stop fighting."

She gripped the handle and pulled it open. "That's impossible. You won't change."

After three steps into the dark room, she felt him come up behind, grab her wrist and spin her around in all his fury, and push her down onto his bed so conveniently located just a foot behind her. He pulled himself over top of her, both knee's on the bed, inches away from her thighs, and he released her wrists and rested his palms on both sides of her head. She quickly drew her arms to her side and watched him the way a child watches a stranger approach with a knife.

"I'd be lying if I said that things between us have never been rough. I could sit all night trying to convince you, but what good would that do?" His words burned with a desire like she had never heard before, and she braced herself tightly, feeling as though her walls were crumbling right in front of her, and the world was fading in a blur right before her eyes.

He fixed his emotional eyes on hers and lowered his voice. "My offer stands...and you must choose."

Unwillingly, her body relaxed underneath him and what seemed like forever passed in silence. A few minutes later, and intense staring, her breath finally became even and her heart felt a bit more stable. After all this time...

"Alright, you win." Her voice was slow, then suddenly picked up, feeling a rush of panic and uncertainty. "But I only give you one night to prove to me this is better than my attempt at giving up on all this." He watched intently as she drew in a shaky breath and now glared at him. She was giving her heart up (what was left of it, anyway) to start all over...at scratch...nothing more than what they were at twelve years old. Partner shinobi. "I swear to god if you hurt me, you're so dead. I can promise you'll never see it coming."

"-Settle, Sakura. I know what you're going though."

Her words cut off at her lips as she could make out his breathtaking and tamed smile in the darkness.

_How could you possible understand how hard this is for me to let you in again? _There was so much she wanted to say to him...so many accusations...so many accounts of doubts and painful broken promises. But she swallowed them.

"Because five minutes before you got here..." His eyes sparkled. "I was going to give up too."

Her heart plunged into her stomach and she nodded, letting the silence drown them in years of misery and unrequited love. The space between them felt so large, and they both secretly yearned to close that gap. But they only stayed in place for second upon second, painfully gazing into each other's disbelieving eyes. It was only after what felt like true eternity, Sasuke very slowly lowered his head, earning a shaky and shallow breath from Sakura. She tilted her chin up, realizing faintly he was about to kiss her.

"S-Sasuke! Sasuke!"

A shrill cry sounded from outside the door right before it flew open and as that happened, Sasuke pulled himself up off the bed in a flash. Kiako jumped into the room, strangling a white blanket to her chest. Her red cheeks were wet and her livid eyes were red and puffy. Both Sasuke and Sakura stared at her nervously.

"I had a bad dream." She wimpered, pulling the blanket up over her face. Then the cried grew louder and more high pitched.

Sakura sat up on the bed and was ready to walk over there, until Sasuke started moving towards Kiako.

He gently lifted her up into his arms and pulled her tightly onto his chest. With this, she burried her tear-stained face into his neck and clutched onto the blanket for dear life.

Sakura watched, almost mesmerized. Since when was Sasuke one to comfort a crying child? She listened quietly as he whispered, 'it's okay' to Kiako over and over again. His tone wasn't so gentle...it was rough and masculine. But it had an almost instant effect.

The whining stopped. All that was left was hiccups and constant shifting from Kalei.

After a few minutes of silence, after Sasuke was sure Kiako had fallen asleep, he glanced over at Sakura only to find her watching him with soft, praising eyes. She smiled at him gently and he let out an exasperated breath, turning around and kicking the door open.

"I'll put her to bed." He whispered, taking a step out the door. Sakura quickly got to her feet and followed behind him until they were just a few feet into the hallway.

"Get some rest, Sakura." His hoarse voice whispered once more. He turned around to see Sakura staring up at him with tired eyes, and a slightly rejected look on her visage.

"Fine. You too then."

"Alright."

"Good night, Sasuke."

She turned around slowly and dragged her feet down the hallway until she took a turn and was out of sight. Sasuke breathed deeply, smelling his shampoo on Kiako's hair.

"Night." He murmured to the empty hallway.

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_Marry Me, Juliet_


	14. Marry Me Juliet

****

Ookay--so I'm well aware that this chapter is OOC.  
I'm sorry...  
But I must!  
Or my story will have no good romance!!  
Forgive me...  
And review.

**Oh, and...thanks for reading these notes!  
I love you guys...  
:)**

_

* * *

_

Chapter Fourteen:  
Marry Me Juliet

_"You wanna pull her close but your heart has froze. You kiss her but her eyes don't close."_

_

* * *

_

_Since when did I leave my curtain open?_

Sasuke squinted his eyes against the light pouring in through the open curtains. He twisted his head to the other side of his pillow, avoiding the glare on his face. He peeled open his droopy lids to see Kiako curled up in a ball on his right, watching him with raw, palmy eyes. Her tiny body lay facing him, her face half submerged in his pillow.

"_What_. Are you doing."

Her curious little eyes puckered to life. "It's eight already, Sasuke. Wakey wakey!" Her long hair was tangled all around her body and he noticed now that she was already dressed in long pink pants and a short sleeve black shirt. Around her neck was a long silver chain with a heart pendant on it. In the middle was a glistening diamond, and the word 'love' engraved at the point on the bottom of the heart. He could have sworn he had saw that necklace somewhere before.

_It's only eight?_

"Try sleeping."

A frown overtook her face almost instantly and he frowned sourly at her in return.

"Sasuke, I'm hungry!"

He sighed and quickly sat up, rubbing his forehead roughly. The last thing he wanted was to listen to her complaining. So he looked over his shoulder to find her already standing by his bed, smile shining like the north star, and her tiny little body swinging back and forth anxiously.

* * *

After an almost sleepless night, Sakura had awoken at five in the morning, made her bed, showered and went to the hospital immediately to offer her assistance. Whatever excuse she could find to leave Sasuke's house was acceptable. After all, Kakashi had only told her she had to suffer through the night. It was now eleven, and honestly, she was hoping she could just go home and relax. Against her chest was a stack of files and documents she already needed to take home and sort through. But even that was tolerable. No more pointless and cruel missions to babysit children with her ex crush. She had other things to think about. But with Lady Tsunade being gone doing God knows what with God knows who (hopefully not Kalei!?), Sakura was almost positive there would be another workload at her office just waiting for her to come and take care of. But right now, other more pressing matters were at the front of her mind. As she was strolling down the street, crowded with morning people looking for things to buy or places to eat, she spotted, on accident, Taru talking to some young women with long green hair and dark, red eyes. Her wavy hair was pulled into a pony tail at the base of her neck, and she was wearing a tight gray kimono. Even from this distance, Sakura could tell the woman was maybe two or three years older than her, and using her beauty to attempt to woo Taru.

And the stupid boy just flirted back, a wide, attractive grin on his face.

Sakura rolled her eyes and made her way over to him and his maiden, in search of answers for her questions.

"Oh, yes. He's a ninja here as well, a jounin I believe. Every three years my parents allow me to make a trip up here and see him." Sakura heard the lady's low, smooth voice as she came within range of their conversation.

"Well, I'd be happy to escort you to his residence, since you're lost." Taru's womanizing tone hit Sakura straight in the face. She needed him right now! No way was he going to go and get his flirt on.

The woman reached her hand out and gently placed her pale fingers on his chest. "I'd be most obliged-"

Sakura slipped herself into the tiny space between the two, careful not to drop her papers, and the woman instantly dropped her arm to her side. Her smile faded almost as quickly as she took a step back and Sakura was pleased to find she had snuck up on them so stealthily.

"Sorry, ma'am, but I'm afraid this ninja is needed at the moment." She cooed sweetly, earning a distasteful frown from the woman. Sakura glanced over her shoulder at Taru, who was now looking away with a sad expression on his face.

"I see." The woman muttered, unhappy with Sakura ruining her flirting. "I suppose I'll have to find my brother some other way."

Sakura raised her arm, using her other to hold the papers tightly, and pointed down the street to a chubby ninja with long red hair and plump cheeks. "That shinobi down there goes by the name of Choji Akimichi. He'd be more than happy to help you find your brother." After a moment, the woman's frown turned to a glare and she sighed deeply with resentment. Without even a 'thanks', she turned on her heel, in the opposite direction of Choji, and stormed off unpleasantly. The instant the woman was gone, Sakura turned around and faced Taru.

"Well, hello, dearest." He replied mockingly. "How can I help you this wonderful morning?"

She narrowed her eyes and flashed him a sarcastic smile. "Start by being a little more self righteous. Don't flirt with women so nasty as to not even thank a girl for offering her help."

Taru shrugged. "Or taking it away."

Sakura rolled her eyes and shifted the stack of papers she had cradled to her chest.

After a click of his tongue, Taru scratched his head and addressed Sakura's matters. "You said something about needing me?"

"Oh, yeah. I need you're help."

"How can I be of service?"

Their eyes met.

"Who is Madara?"

Taru opened his mouth to say something and then stopped, closing his lips tightly and furrowing his brow. "Why are you suddenly asking?"

Sakura thought back on that night when she had heard Taru and Sasuke speaking about the true leader or the Akatsuki. Truth was, as she was lying in bed last night, being unable to fall into a slumber, the thought had crossed her mind, and she now needed to know.

"It's about time I asked, isn't it?" She answered calmly, and Taru just puffed out his cheeks, clearing his throat.

"I'm not completely sure. Rumor is, he goes by the name of Tobi in the Akatsuki. I only heard this through Kakashi, and I have no idea how he found out." Taru rattled off all he knew while Sakura memorized every detail. "Pein acts as leader, but Madara is the higher power. That's really all the more we know."

Sakura furrowed her brow. "Madara. I've heard that name before. Wasn't he the one who fought the first Hokage at the Valley of the-"

"Yeah, that's him. Old Lady Tsunade knew about this, too. I'll bet she told Kakashi, and maybe some others."

"That'd make sense but...that fight was so long ago. Isn't he-"

"Dead?"

Sakura nodded hesitantly.

"Like I said, we don't know much."

Taru's eyes locked on Sakura's while she processed the information. Was this the guy Sasuke was after? Her eyes burned into Taru's and she took a step closer.

"Madara..." Her gaze now flickered to the floor as the wheels turned in her head. Taru, noticing this, sighed hesitantly and nodded. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Madara Uchiha."

The weight on her shoulders suddenly felt like it increased, and it made sense. That's what Sasuke was after now. And it was clear that he was staying in Konoha to gather the information that people like Tsunade and Kakashi knew. He was using this town to it's benefit. As all of Konoha was using him to theirs.

She nodded as she swallowed hard, her throat raw. The two of them just stood in silence as Sakura let everything sink it. Taru watched her carefully, curious as to if he should have been the one to tell her that. But after the silence became unbearable, he spoke up.

"Is that all? Did you want to know anything else? Anything else bothering you?"

Sakura glanced up at him and then away, her eyes dulling by the second. And Taru never missed a beat of it.

"No. Not so much."

He raised both eyebrows and she looked back at him, blinking a couple of times in response to his unbelieving look.

"What?" She asked.

Taru shook his head, smiling at her with his white, flashy teeth. "I've known you for almost a year, and out of all the people I've ever met...I've never come to know some one so fast. You're honestly going to try and tell me something _isn't _wrong when something very obviously is?"

Sakura flashed him a quick smile and then drew in a full breath, nodding her head.

_That's one thing I love, and hate, about this guy._

She tilted her chin toward the ground and after a moment, felt Taru knocking on her head gently with his knuckles. She looked up at him through her eyelashes and the simple gesture made his breath lodge in his throat. It took him a moment to remember to say something.

"So? Wanna try that again?"

Sakura pursed her lips. "I'm just worried, that's all. Do you know where Lady Tsunade even went? What's her mission exactly?"

Taru pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb and closed his eyes tightly, indicating deep thought. Sakura shifted her weight onto one leg, hoping he had an answer to that.

"You know, I'm not even sure. Never asked. I guess all I really know is that she's stationed all the jounin and lower class ninja to watch the town and it's near surroundings. The ANBU are the only shinobi out tracking the Akatsuki. I guess that's what the Sand Village is doing as well."

Sakura perked one eyebrow and shook her head against his words. "How do you know all this?"

He let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "I was just up at the city hall last night. I was briefed on all the changes and what was going on. They expect a lot from us now. It's just that the certain few of us-" He waved his hand between him and Sakura. "-Are suppose to be around this village until Grandma Tsunade's return. We're the most advanced protection."

Sakura just nodded. What was she suppose to say to this? Nothing, really.

_Except maybe I should have got my butt up to Lady Tsunade's office and figured this out for myself. I can only imagine what other load is up there waiting for me._

"Answer your questions?" Taru's voice broke through Sakura's inner scolding. As Taru took a step back, she took one forward and opened her mouth quickly to speak.

"Just one more-"

"Yup." Taru replied with another brilliant grin.

He was always so carefree. And fun. Generous, interesting and intelligent. The type of person Sakura needed to be around to loosen nerves and release built up stress. The type of person who she had become friends with in just three days. Somewhere along Sasuke's absence, she looked to Taru for guidance. He gave great advice and was there for her when she needed someone to scream at. He was also adorable and had let Sakura lean on him at the roughest points in the past. And now...she watched him smile at her with his most valiant grace, and she wondered if even he was feeling the pressure every other shinobi was feeling at this very moment.

"-Did, uh...do you know if Kalei went with Lady Tsunade?" Her voice was urgent, words hurried.

Taru wrinkled his nose and, after a somewhat hesitant and suspicious nod, replied. "I do believe she did."

Sakura felt a funny tingling sensation wipe over her skin and she quickly nodded, hoping Taru wouldn't see her incredible wave of disappointment.

"Okay. Well, thanks. Sorry I ruined you're chance at a date." She kept her voice perfectly, and Taru rolled his eyes almost as if he had never noticed her mood change.

"Oh, you know. There will be others." His hazel eyes caught hers at that moment, and she quickly rolled her eyes and looked away. After a short wave and sarcastic laugh in reply, she spun around and took off in the opposite direction, putting behind the conversation with Taru so she could focus on getting her feet to take her to the city hall. The last thing she needed to worry about someone who meant so little to her work load.

* * *

She paced from building to building, weaving through the people and being careful not to think to much on any one subject. Her eyes never left the street in front of her and her expression never strayed from calm. The papers were snug against her chest and she could feel tension build up in every muscle on her overworked body. Round one corner, round another. She was walking toward the city hall, but it had felt like she was simply walking in circles. Until she came to one corner at a rather normal speed, that somebody managed to collide with her going 100 MPH. Being on guard so well, she only stumbled back and grunted, but the hit had loosened the stiffness in her arms, and all the papers had come crashing down. They fluttered to the sidewalk in a chaotic pile. After a moment of letting the wind come back to her, she took a step forward and crouched down to pick up the papers. Only, she noticed somebody helping her. In no time at all, the person, who hadn't even muttered an apology, handed her the papers, and she was slowly pulling her body up right...when she saw a pale hand stretch out and catch the Uchiha emblem hanging off her neck in front of her chest. The dangling emblem was now secured between two fingers, and Sakura became speechless, looking up and noticing a just as speechless Sasuke caressing her, or his, necklace.

His eyes moved from the necklace to her eyes and she suddenly became very still, embarassed and breathless at the same time. What was he thinking?

It felt like time stood still for those few seconds.

He simply glanced at the emblem once more and then back at her, and this time, shockingly, she had managed to muster enough movement to take a step back, allowing the emblem to be pulled from his fingers. His hand dropped to his side.

"You're wearing it." Was all he said. Sakura's mouth was dry, lips parted slightly. She glanced around, looking for something to say, but nothing especially natural came to mind. She finally looked back at him and shrugged.

"Well, you gave it to me. It didn't just fall from the heavens that night."

_Why am I being such a bitch...?_

Sasuke's lips pulled up in a crooked smile for only an instant, and then his face became stoic once more. "No, I guess not."

Sakura nodded, swallowing hard. It burned all the way down to her stomach.

"But I thought you said you didn't care about me anymore?"

Her jaw fell open as she noticed his serious face. As in...was this a serious question?!

_Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Now he's going to think I still love him! Wait..._

Every thought that crossed her mind in that one moment contradicted itself. Either she loved him or didn't? Which was right? Her heart or her will?

"Who said I still did?" She narrowed her eyes and tucked the necklace into her shirt, as if to pretend he had never noticed it.

He perked one eyebrow, his lips drawing into a tight line. "Then why are you wearing it?"

She rolled her eyes, glad that her mind was now in full swing and she could ramble off whatever nonsense was at the top of her head. "Should I not be wearing it? Would you rather I leave it on a shelf and let it collect dust?"

Sakura notice his face crumple a bit, fists clench just slightly at his sides.

"I'm humoring you." She finished, feeling the icy words freeze her tongue. But Sasuke was unaffected. He simply nodded at her mockingly and then rolled his eyes.

"Or lying to me." She opened her mouth to deny that, but he spoke again. "Got up and left early enough this morning? Memories that unbearable?"

"Hardly." She spat instantly, and then relaxed her tone so she wouldn't sound so cold towards him. Truth was, he was half right. "I only needed to be there that night. And I had things to do this morning." She glanced off to the side, face becoming calm. "It was nothing personal."

"Never is." She looked back at him to notice him walking toward her, or really, just trying to walk past her. His hands were in his pockets and his face was bored as he strolled right past her. For a moment, she didn't know what she should do, but then she found herself turned around, facing his back as he slowly walked away from her.

"I take it Kakashi came and got her?" She said a bit louder so Sasuke could hear her. Slowly coming to a stop, he turned half way around and nodded.

"Mission accomplished." He replied.

Sakura let out a tiny laugh and nodded, while Sasuke smirked back just slightly.

This felt nice. Just being...

...Well really, who was she fooling? They could never be just normal friends.

"So...we're okay?" She found herself asking suddenly, wiping the smirk clear off his face.

A pause.

"We're okay."

She narrowed one eye, her tone becoming lighter. "No more awkwardness?"

"None." The response was quicker, and so was Sakura's heart rate as she noticed him smirking back at her triumphantly.

"And no more fights?"

He pulled the corner of his lips down and tilted his head as if he couldn't promise her that. "Well...not each other."

She laughed. He felt better knowing he could still make her laugh. "I can live with that." She muttered softly. Sasuke just nodded and turned around.

Sakura memorized each foot step, wondering if this was really what 'being okay' felt like.

Or maybe if it was still just simply being in love.

* * *

"_You_, my friend, have absolutely _nothing _in common with Hinata, and shall _never _have anything in common with her, so long as-"

"_You _don't know."

"Yeah, like you don't know what you're talking about."

"Give me a break, will you?"

Taru chuckled graciously and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm just telling you, dude."

Naruto sighed heavily and frowned. "And I'm just telling you what she told me at the Ikiru festival, dude."

Taru looked at Naruto, both eyebrows raised incredulously, forming lines on his forehead. "Yeah, but..._Hinata_? Liking..._you_-"

"-Loving, actually-"

"-It's just...like, wow." Taru shook his head viciously and when Naruto pouted at him, he burst out into more playful laughter. "Relax, whiskers, I'm only kidding with you."

Whiskers. This was what Taru called Naruto on occasion, with his permission, due to his containing the nine tailed fox. Naruto happened to be completely okay with it, mainly because Taru was like another brother to him.

The two approached a picnic table outside of a sweets shop on the main street. Kakashi and Kiako were sitting peacefully, while Kiako munched on something chocolate looking. She never looked up, but Kakashi noticed the two and waved.

Naruto sighed at Taru, hinting to drop the conversation, and they both walked over to the edge of the table.

"How's babysitting?" Taru asked, placing both hands on the table top. Kiako ignored him, finishing whatever desert she was gobbling up.

"Well, I'm alive. Slightly broke, though. She eats everything."

"You could never tell." Naruto muttered under his breath, and Kiako beamed up at him. Taru laughed in turn and shot the girl a mischievous smirk.

"I bet Kakashi's been a lot of fun, right?" He asked, and Kiako shook her head.

"He's okay but I stayed with Sasuke and Sakura last night! That was more fun."

Taru's face went blank instantly and Naruto groaned almost as quickly.

"Yeah, meanwhile, his "teammates" or whatever...stayed at my house. I had to kick them out this morning." Naruto glanced over at Taru, who was now staring at the picnic table, trying to match up what Kiako had just said.

"Sorry about that." Kakashi murmured, standing up. He stretched out his arms and took a few steps away from the picnic table, and Kiako fell into step right beside him. "You mind watching her for a little bit? I'd like to talk to Naruto for a minute." Both Naruto and Taru shot him suspicious glances, and almost as if Taru had forgotten about Kiako's earlier statement, he shrugged.

"Sure." He replied cooly, and instantly, Kakashi nodded and the two walked away from him.

"So what exactly did you do last night?" Taru asked in a fake bored tone, now turning his full attention to Kiako. He was hunched over on his knee's and at some point during Kakashi and Naruto's leave, Kiako had placed herself right in front of Taru.

"I stayed over at Sasuke's house!"

A pause.

"With Sakura?"

Kiako nodded, a giant smile bursting out on her vibrant face. "You jealous?"

Taru narrowed his eyes, a hint of something different in his look now. Disappointment? Frustration?

"Curious." He muttered, giving Kiako this unexplainable look, that clearly only she could understand, because her smile vanished immediately and she frowned.

"But I don't get it. Sakura's..." Taru muttered to himself.

"Sakura's, what?"

The two of them looked up behind Taru to see Sakura walking over to them slowly, unsure of whether or not she should be barging on this conversation. Last thing she wanted was to hear something about her she wasn't suppose to hear. And her suspicion only heightened when Taru turned to face her with both eyebrows raised and a tiny smirk on his face.

"Sakura's...here. I feel like I just seen you this morning." His mocking tone made Sakura furrow her eyebrows and click her tongue.

"Yeah, feels like that." She looked down at Kiako, who stared up at her with wide eyes. Something about her look made Sakura uncomfortable. "And you? You managed to survive this morning?"

Kiako only nodded, eyes still big and curious, as if all the world was unknown in those few seconds. Sakura chose to ignore that as she heard an exasperated sigh come from Taru.

It was then, as she turned to look at Taru, her eye caught something off in the distance a few feet, approaching them slowly. Sasuke. He had just been saying something to Kakashi and Naruto, who had turned and went in the opposite direction, and then turned and came toward her and the other two. She quickly took a deep breath and tried to figure out why his presence was rattling her. She was fine by him just a few hours ago.

Well, sort of.

_Keep it cool, Sakura. Friends. You guys can manage to be just friends._

And then she noticed something else.

Taru, his all of a sudden uptight, uncomfortable expression, focused on Sasuke, who seemed to be ignoring him completely and focusing on a skittish Kiako. She jumped behind Sakura right away, peering over her hip.

Sasuke just 'hn'ed and turned his attention to Sakura, who struggled to keep a calm composure together. The little kid behind her wasn't helping any.

"Hey." She said, keeping her voice nonchalant and kind. Sasuke nodded. He ran a hand through his long, silky, hair, allowing Sakura to soak up every detail. And then, he turned his attention to Taru, who was trying desperately not to glare. It wasn't so much that he had something against Sasuke personally, but he didn't like the thought of him and Sakura together. And he still owed Sasuke a punch.

"Sup." Taru let the words slip between his lips in the calmest voice he could muster and Sasuke, in turn, just glared at him, as if he was the most unimportant and annoying person in the world.

Just then, in a swift motion that nobody noticed, Kiako lunged herself at Sasuke, who was fast enough to swipe her off the ground and into one arm, her butt planted on his elbow while she wound her arms around his neck. The action caused Sasuke to sigh and place his free hand in his pocket, but much to Sakura and Taru's surprised, he didn't seem bothered enough to yell at the little girl for invading his personal space.

"Sasuke!" She chirped cheerfully. "Can I stay with you and Sakura again?!"

Sasuke didn't fail to notice from the corner of his eye the twitch that echoed off Taru.

Ah, sweet satisfaction.

Sasuke smirked at Sakura, who was also aware of Taru's rising ire. But the only thought she had about it was that he wasn't fond of Sasuke. So she raised one eyebrow, slightly irritated, with her earlier nervousness now gone.

"You can stay with Sasuke." Sakura sputtered to Kiako, uninterested. Her strong gaze rested on Sasuke, though, who payed no mind to her attitude.

Taru now rested his stare on Kiako, and when Sakura glanced back at him quickly, he was wearing an expression like she hadn't seen on him before. His eyes appeared dark and serious, holding onto Kiako's face as though he was trying to reach her a message. And when Sakura looked back at Kiako, she could tell that not only was the little girl not paying attention to Taru, she was purposely _trying _to avoid his gaze.

How could Sakura tell? Because every so often Kiako's eyes would flicker half over to Taru...and for once...Kiako's smile had moments of fakeness. Something Sakura had not seen on the cheerful child's face before.

And then Kiako frowned heavily. "But I want to play with you and Sasuke...together." She pushed her lower lip out, and her words caused Taru to scoff quietly. Sasuke turned his fierce eyes on him, who was now staring at the ground with an awkward smile on his face.

Sakura just sighed.

_Together, huh?_

"Kiako," Taru looked up at her, the same awkward and crooked smile on his lips. "Are you trying to play match maker?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and simultaneously, Kiako stuck her tongue out on him.

"Taru, I love _both _Sasuke and Sakura, even if you and Lele don't!"

The corner of Taru's lips dropped and he now glared at her dangerously.

It was if the air had become thick enough to choke off Sakura's vocal cords, because her mind was working...while her voice was not. Neither Sasuke nor Sakura had actually listened to the meaning of Kiako's sentence. All they seemed to notice was Kiako's use of Kalei's nickname, Lele, and how she had so easily grouped the two of them together. Sakura, imparticularly, put all the puzzle pieces together.

Kalei and Taru.

They knew each other.

Why _else _would Kiako have made it sound so much like they did?

Sasuke put Kiako down to her feet, and as if she understand the problem she had just caused, she took a step away from Sasuke and bit down on her thumb, watching a very angry Taru stare at her with an intensity Sakura had never seen on him before.

Sakura turned her body to face him with a firm and serious stare. "You know her." A short pause. "How _well _do you know her?"

After a moment, Taru looked down at Sakura, his expression relaxing. He couldn't find it in him to glare at Sakura. Not like that.

In that instance, he pushed Sasuke and Kiako out of his mind, so he felt like only him and Sakura were standing here, having this conversation. It was now or never. He wasn't sure exactly how Sakura would react, and he just as unsure about what he wanted to say or how this would turn out...but...

"Pretty well." He said slowly. Sakura's mouth opened to say something, and then she hesitated, just for a moment.

"That day..." Sakura glanced behind her at Kiako, who was staring at the two of them with wide eyes. She brought her gaze back to Taru. "In the alleyway...when Kiako fell in front of us...you knew her?" Her last few words cracked, showing her real frustration with Taru.

Taru swallowed, feeling all his words disappear, and his stomach flipped uncomfortably. "I never told you that I didn't know her, Sakura."

Sakura flinched. He was right. Thinking back on it...he had never seemed as surprised by the little girl as she had.

-

_"Hey. Have a nice trip?" Taru asked._

_"Are you alright?" Sakura asked. The little girl smiled back and nodded._

_"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" The little girl spoke._

_Taru chuckled softly to himself. "Because you just face planted-"_

_"If you're hurt at all, just let me know." Sakura interrupted, her smile growing. The little girl nodded and took another step toward them. _

_The little girl just stared for a moment._

_"I know she's ugly but it's impolite to stare." Taru casually spoke again. Sakura slammed her foot down on his._

_"Are you lost? How old are you?" Sakura asked._

_The little girl started twirling in circles. "I'm 7, and no, I'm not lost. But thanks, pretty lady." She stopped spinning and bowed her head. Sakura nodded and watched as the girl turned and skipped off._

_Sakura sighed heavily once more as Taru stumbled over to her._

_"Yeah...thanks pretty lady. I think you broke my foot." _

_-_

Something in Sakura snapped at that moment. "And all the stuff you told me about her that day, like her modeling and her becoming an ANBU captain...where'd you hear it all?!" She was now shouting, and random people on the street shot glances at the arguing two. Sasuke noticed this, but just like Sakura, he was taking in everything Taru was saying. So he knew Kalei. Was that why Kalei had assigned Taru to watch over Sasuke if they should need to go on a mission?

Taru sighed and a pained look overcame his features. "She told me." He breathed deeply, figuring there was no reason to lie.

Sakura wasn't sure why this was so upsetting. Of course, she was expected to get a little angry...but this? She wanted to throw Taru off a cliff right now. And she couldn't quite understand why.

And he could tell. "Sakura-"

"Don't." She snapped dangerously, eyeing him with as much intensity as she could manage. She shook her head viciously and then snarled at him again. "You _knew _I hated her. You let me go off about her so many times and you _knew _her? And the times you called her beautiful and...and..." She was at a loss of words. And her last statement made Sasuke twitch angrily himself. "You know what, I _hate _you."

Taru's mouth fell open, but before he could form solid words, Sakura was storming off, pissed at the world. And here was one of her best friends...standing here watching her go. He took one step to run after her but he felt a tight grip on his forearm hold him in place. He instantly glowered over his should at Sasuke and pulled his arm away roughly.

"Did that make you happy?" Taru hissed, earning a distasteful scowl from Sasuke.

"You're misery, yes. Hers, no." Sasuke took a step toward Taru, who stood up straight and met Sasuke head on. There was no way he was backing down.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Kiako squealed, pushing her way in between their legs. Her face was all blustery and she looked as though she was going to cry. "I'm sorry! I never meant to hurt her! I just thought it was for the best." She looked up at Taru with pleading eyes, and his vicious expression relaxed a bit.

Sasuke clenched his fists at his sides. "What was for the best?"

Taru's hazel eyes locked on Sasuke's onyx ones, and he swept Kiako up into his arms.

"What are you hiding, Shokei." Sasuke whispered loudly, more a statement than a question. He knew there was something going on. It was just a matter of finding out what it was.

"Nothing you need to worry yourself with, Uchiha." Taru snapped, leaping out of sight with a sorrowful Kiako held tightly to his chest.

Sasuke just stood there, in his own thoughts, wondering where he could find a now pissed off Sakura.

* * *

She was shuffling down an empty street an hour or so later, still fuming mad. But also, she was mortified. Taru was probably the one person she had never had a serious argument with. And here she had just thrown that perfect streak out the window. Not only was she mortified, she was second guessing herself. Maybe that wasn't a real reason to blow up on him.

_But he never told me he knew her! All those times I said I couldn't stand her, or...just..._

She swallowed thickly, feeling all the anger engulf her once more. He could have mentioned that him and Kalei were like, best fucking friends!! Maybe then she wouldn't have made a point of confiding in him about things. She couldn't even imagine how things would have turned out if she had known Taru last year when her and Kalei had got in their first fight.

She stomped. She huffed. She acted like a spoiled child.

And she knew she was doing it. That was the worst part. But still...

Suddenly, she felt the presence of somebody near her and she planted her feet firmly on the ground, closing her eyes and huffing out one last agitated breath. Of course she knew who it was. Misery becomes familiar after so many painful encounters.

"Coming to my rescue?" She said icily.

Instantly, she felt something firm, Sasuke's back, leaning on her back, and she shifted herself so she was leaning on him as well. He was extremely fast, appearing behind her like that. His arms were crossed and a small smirk was on his pale lips.

"Don't I always?" He retorted, and Sakura slowly opened her eyes and stared at the ground wearily. Being around Sasuke was, surprisingly, dissipating her anger and just making her weary. And his simple words gave her a few quick flashbacks on all the times he had, in fact, come to her rescue.

Woo, what a hero.

"Yeah. When you're here." She said smartly, yet in a tired voice, and turned around, while he, too, turned around and faced her for a moment, then he took a step past her. She sighed as she heard his sarcastic chuckle.

"When I'm here." He repeated in his low, I'm-a-smart-ass-but-you-know-you-like-it tone.

Sakura turned back toward him once more and he was facing her too, a smirk still present on his gorgeous face. She rubbed her forehead gently and sighed again, feeling way to mentally exhausted to pick up a conversation with him.

Then his face shifted, and he became serious.

"You okay?"

He really didn't know why he was asking. He knew the answer. He just felt like if he were to ask her, he could address the situation more carefully.

She raised both eyebrows and let out a short laugh, as if he were the world's biggest idiot. And being the silly girl she was, she had fallen for him. "Rhetorical question?" She asked lightly, causing Sasuke to flash her a brief smirk. "You know, I actually thought I knew him pretty well." She shook her head and ran her hand hastily through her hair, causing it to fall in all the wrong places. Yet it did not disturb her beauty. "I should just accept that everybody is a liar and..." Her words ran flat there and she looked back at Sasuke, eye's darkening with past reflections. She paused a moment, and then spoke. "I should have learned from you."

He bit his lip and narrowed his eyes. "I thought we weren't doing this anymore." He replied calmly. She pursed her lips.

Had they not agreed to no more arguing? And just earlier today, too.

"I _thought _a lot of things." She let out a deep breath and turned her gaze to the ground in front of her. "God, when do the disappointments _end_." And he honestly saw something deep inside her dark emerald eyes that made him think she was going to cry.

So, he let his instincts take over.

He reached out his hand and snatched her wrist, not pulling her quite yet. She glanced up at him quickly and all the questions ran through her eyes. He could see everything.

"Let's go." He demanded, causing her questioning eyes to widen.

"Go where?"

"You'll see." And he proceeded to tug her along, not hearing a single protest from the frail girl behind him.

They had simply rounded a corner and taken a few steps before Sakura noticed the Eternity Garden, and how both her and Sasuke were standing in front of it.

"What...what are you doing?" She asked finally, as Sasuke turned to face her, his normal expression in place.

"You annoy me when you're like this, so I'm attempting to help."

She stared at him flatly. "So you're not doing this just to make me feel better."

"Well...no not really."

"Everything you do has to benefit you. Do you ever do anything just for somebody else?" She snapped, raising one eyebrow.

Sasuke smirked. "Would you believe me if I said yes?"

"No." She answered immediately. He almost wasn't able to even finish his sentence.

"Then why bother asking." But it wasn't a question, and he didn't give her any time to reply. He turned around and gestured her forward toward the gates, and she hesitantly took a few steps forward.

"I can't." She mumbled randomly, coming to a stop. Sasuke, who was one step in the garden, turned and faced her with a annoyed look.

"Why?"

She tapped her finger on her chin. She was one step from the gates, glancing above her at the beautiful architectural work of the gates. "I'm suppose to go in on a special occasion." She glanced back down at Sasuke after a few seconds. His stoic eyes melted into hers.

"I'm asking you to go in with me." Both his brows raised, and his words made Sakura's heart skip a beat. "I think this is a pretty special occasion."

And just like that, she was walking down the firm dirt walkway, eyeing the millions upon millions of flowers to her left and right. Multi-colored pebbles lined the walkway and it strained Sakura's eyes to see all the colors in the near dark. It was now a little past sunset and the night was approaching.

The garden was built so that a small walkway stretched from the gates, to another pair of wire gates. These gates were level with the walkway, and after you walked through the second pair of gates, the land sloped into a crater-like garden with Tsunade's statue in the middle. White wire fences lined the huge rectangular garden, and a row of evergreens coated the inside and outside of the fences.

Sakura and Sasuke slowly made their way to the second gates, and then Sakura turned her awe-struck gaze up at Sasuke.

"Why'd you bring me here? I mean, now of all times." He looked down at her and leaned his head in just a bit to whisper to her.

"This is when the lights come on."

That wasn't what she had meant, but what happened next was magical to her.

Because on cue, she noticed something flicker down by her feet. A string of lights were weaved through the large pebbles and around the second set of gates, and they flicked on one by one. She looked behind her and noticed the evergreens on both sides of the fence light up with bright gold lights, illuminating the healthy, colorful flowers blanketing the ground. Sakura could tell now with some lighting that there was numerous types of flowers all around her, and now she was dying to see what the rest looked like. She held her breath and took a step in front of Sasuke, closing her eyes. He placed his hand on the small of her back and pushed her forward until she was right at the gates, and the rest of the garden became visible. After a brief moment, he spoke to her.

"Open your eyes." His beautiful voice reached her.

And obediently, she did, letting her eyelids flutter open in wonder.

The walkway reached down into the rectangular and long valley, until it reached a large granite statue of Lady Tsunade just how Sakura had imagined. Only better. And to each side of her, more flowers decorated the soil, and tiny lights were weaved on the ground below them, lighting up the different colors. Four large black poles were placed symmetrically on each side of her, reaching to the end of the garden. And atop each of the black poles, a light flood of water fell of a round shape, casting water to the ground. Lights were strung up the poles, and the whole placed glowed with a brilliant wave of color. The sight gave Sakura chills, and she stared at it all with her mouth open, a smile rounded from her lips. Sasuke stood beside her, awed, yet not gaping. He was most infatuated with her obvious attration to the beautiful scene.

She was smiling.

And something told him that was all he really wanted.

In a trance like state, she made her way down the walkway, shooting her stares in every direction. She soaked up every detail, letting it consume her in a fairytale world. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of Lady Tsunade's statue, staring at it with a burning passion in her eyes. There was a shallow pool surrounding it in the same granite, and lights were embedded inside small glass holders under the water, casting up over the Hokage's statue.

But that wasn't what drew tears to Sakura's eyes. Or what caused every bone in her body to crumble.

It was the lone, beautiful cherry blossom tree, blooming in all its greatness, right behind the statue.

Sakura took a step back and lost her breath.

"Must have had you in mind."

Sasuke's velvet voice pulled her from her entrancement, and she turned her body around excruciatingly slow. Her eyes found his and it took all she had not to embrace him and break down into tears. She wanted so much to go back to the way things were a year ago...when he had told her he loved her...when he had held her, and kissed her...and made her everything okay. She wanted to feel like it wasn't a fairytale, but it was all real. And she wanted to thank Lady Tsunade...and she wanted to cry on her lap about all the things she had kept inside these past months. And she wanted to apologize to Taru...to Naruto. She wanted to be the little girl she was at age twelve, and live the carefree life she had pictured herself living. She wanted eternity, and everything else that came along with it. She wanted perfection. And the hardest part...was knowing she couldn't have it.

She let out a shallow breath, swallowed what she could with her dry mouth, and pulled herself together...just for Sasuke's sake.

"Thank you." She whispered. His stoic expression seemed familiar and soothing to her, and it made the night all the more perfect. "It's...wow." She glanced around her once more, spinning slowly to take it all in once more. "Really. Thanks."

His dark, mysterious eyes relaxed and he ran a hand through his raven hair. He took a step toward her, closing what little space was between them, and her tear filled eyes widened.

And Sakura knew...in that moment...what she wanted.

She rested her hands on his chest, smelling his sweet breath fan over her face. Oh, wow, did she miss him. She leaned up on her tip toes and closed her eyes, while Sasuke closed his as well.

But it was once she came within an inch of his face that she felt her breath hitch, a pain shoot through her chest, and all the reluctance in the world to move even farther. She removed her hands from his chest immediately and her eyes shot open, allowing a tear to escape her eye. Sasuke, too, lifted his eyelids to look at the pain-stricken frown on her face. Gracefully, she fell onto her heels, staring at his chest. But she made no move to widen the space between them.

"I'm sorry." She whispered too quietly for Sasuke to even hear her.

She could not forget his lies. He had promised her something he could not keep. He had hurt her in more ways than anybody else ever could. And she was simply not ready to lose herself to that nightmare once again. No matter how much her heart bled for him.

She clenched her fists at her sides as Sasuke took a step back. She glanced up at him to see him outstretching a hand to her. Unconsciously, she let out a slow, tender laugh.

_Shake hands? Are you serious?_

Sakura curled her lower lip into her mouth and tried not to smile, as she noticed the very tiny crooked smile Sasuke was giving her. After a moment, both of them returned to seriousness, and Sakura reached her hand out slowly. Her fingertips brushed his and she pulled her hand back an inch. But after a moment, she built up the courage to extend her hand the rest of the way. His firm grip seized her soft hand with a thirst for her touch, and he pulled her harshly, so she wouldn't have time to pull away.

Her feet lost balance as she fell into him. Her hands landed on his firm chest once more, and this time, their bodies were touching, emitting an intense heat. Sakura looked up at him with eyes so wide she was sure they were spilling all her secrets. Sasuke just watched her for a moment. He placed one hand on her upper arm, allowed a tiny space between them, reached up her other hand, and placed his knuckles gently under her chin. She tilted her chin down in reaction, shaking her head softly. Found at a complete loss of her words, this was her pathetic protesting. Because deep down, it was what she wanted. But of course, she was scared.

Sasuke gently lifted her chin to him while she continued to shake her head just slightly. The movement was almost unnoticeable.

"We're gunna be okay." He whispered to her, mainly trying to convince himself. And then in the swiftest of movement, his lips swooped down and caught hers for the shortest of moments. Long enough to stop time, yet short enough to leave her wanting more. He pulled back and looked into her far away eyes. He wasn't willing to risk anything else. She was already what he had left damaged and broken.

Until she was able to give herself back to him...he'd just have to give her a little push.

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_Plastic Glue_


	15. Plastic Glue

**Okay, I realize I am a bit late, but fanfiction was being gay...  
And I've had an emotional last two days so...my apologies but...  
****Happy birthday to sasusaku779!  
This chapter is for you, as promised!  
Sorry, I'm a bit late. :)**

* * *

_Chapter Fifteen:  
Plastic Glue_

_"When you look at me, tell me what do you see beyond these green eyes?"_

* * *

He knocked on the door twice and then slowly pushed it open, letting himself in casually. It was dark inside the big empty room besides a small light emitting from the corner. A night light. He walked slowly and quietly to the bed, squatting down to be level with Kiako's dull, blue eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Taru asked calmly, watching a hint of fatigue flicker through the young girls' eyes. He felt a heavy feeling flood his chest and then quickly pushed it away. Now was no time to be feeling guilty.

"I'm...so tired." Kiako replied lazily. She was tucked under the covers of her big bed, layers of dark green and pink blankets over her small body. She yawned and then met Taru's eyes.

"You'll feel better in a little while. Where's Kakashi?"

Kiako paused for a bit and then replied, her tone even more raspy now. "With Shizune up at the town hall. He told me he had important business today and that I should lay in bed. He told me...you'd be coming to check on me..."

Taru nodded, taking in the once lively child and her condition. "Well, here I am." He carefully reached around the girls neck to unlatch the necklace hanging limply off her neck. The silver heart pendant. The item he needed. Kiako made no mood to stop him, nor any move to indicate she had even noticed him remove it.

"Here you are..." She whispered, mimicking his words and closing her eyes. The heavy feeling overcame Taru once more, but he put it past him again, allowing a stoic composition to take over his face. He ran his hand gently over Kiako's silky hair and then stood up, making his way to the door.

"You'll feel better soon. Get some rest, love." He called as he seized the door knob and pulled the door open.

As he made his way out, Kiako mustered the last bit of strength left in her and called out to him before she fell into a deep slumber.

"Bye...big...brother..."

* * *

Naruto sprawled out of his bed and fell heavily onto his floor, feeling chills sweep over his cold, sweaty body. A nightmare. A dark place...with lots of blood...and twisted laughter...

He stood up, rubbing his head furiously. He had a tendency to fly out of his bed. After sighing and regaining his composure, he shuffled out of his room, down his stairs, and into his kitchen to find something to eat for the morning. Opening his fridge, he pulled out a milk container and set it on the table, turning back to seek out a glass. He found a glass in one of his cabinets, but as he reached for it he suddenly noticed it crack. Instantly, he pulled his hand away from the glass.

_What the?_

Slowly, as if the glass could bite, he reached forward and without even grasping the glass tight enough to pick it up, it shattered into a million tiny pieces. Naruto pulled his hand away, emitting a swear word, and gazed at his bloody hand, embedded with tiny shards of what could only be the foreshadowing of a bad omen.

With a sick feeling in his stomach, he removed the glass and decided to make his way to where his heart was dreadfully leading him.

* * *

"What's one thing you missed about the village while you were gone?"

"The training field."

Sakura shot Sasuke a dirty look over his shoulder and he turned his head away to hide his smirk. He flung another shuriken toward the bulky tree trunk and hit dead center, next to the other nine he had previously thrown. Sakura stood off to the side, analyzing the way his muscles flexed, and taking in the motions he conducted. His form was flawless, his skill intriguing. And yet, despite the awe he was putting her in, she felt a heavy, sick feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. Something that made her want to crawl in bed and shut the world out today, because something was telling her, it was going to be a bad evening.

The sky was heavy with ashen, dark clouds. They blanketed the depressed sun, letting a silvery shadow light up the day. It was early evening and the training field was gloomy. Sakura couldn't get in the mood to train with Sauske. She could simply observe. Which was fine with her, at this moment. Sasuke was definitely a beauty to observe.

Sasuke grabbed the collar of his black, t-shirt and wiped his glossy face. Once he was done, he turned toward Sakura and perked an eyebrow at her.

"What are you staring at?"

Snapping back to reality, she brought her neck down and stared at Sauske, blinking rapidly and trying to refocus all her thoughts.

"Huh?" She muttered.

Sasuke's eyebrows leveled and he scratched his head. He glanced up at the sky, and then back down at Sakura.

"You were staring."

Sakura blinked a couple more times and cleared her throat. She hadn't meant to stare up at the clouds. It was just one sign of either her bubbly day dreaming-ness...or her unconscious worrying. Either way, she turned her slightly pink face away from Sasuke and started to walk away from him.

"Sorry. I think I'm tired."

Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed him walking just a foot or so behind her. Both their steps were slow and fluid.

"Did you sleep?" His low, harmonious voice reached her ears.

"Kind of. Not really."

"Nightmares?"

Sakura stopped slowly, noticing him stop behind her too. She took a deep breath and turned to face him with a blank look on her face. Sasuke always knew what was wrong. He could read her like a novel, memorizing the words for future readings. She had told him about her nightmares at one point, but she hadn't really given him credit to remember the things she said. Silly her.

"Yeah, something like that. This one wasn't so much a nightmare. It was just..." She tilted her head as her thoughtful eyes met Sasuke's mysterious ones. "It was weird."

Sasuke shrugged immediately, indicating he didn't really care to listen. With his luck, the nightmare would have been about him and just talking about it would have brought up needless drama and arguing. So he let it go.

But truthfully, her dream consisted of three people, standing on a cliff. In the background was a dark red sky, and a shrill, blood-curdling laugh filled the air. After that, Sakura woke up, feeling tingly and sore all over. Her upper right arm felt as if she had cut herself deep, and she still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that dream had left her with.

"Lady Haruno!"

Sakura quickly spun around toward the unfamiliar voice, and Sasuke focused his eyes on the uninvited guest as well. An ANBU shinobi was atop a grassy hill maybe twenty feet behind Sakura. His voice was full of dire panic, and it immediately made Sakura's heart beat race.

"Yes." She answered back in a firm, professional manner. Next thing she knew, Sasuke was by her side, standing protectively close to her. He, too, felt uneasy by the dark sky and restless shinobi.

"Ma'am, come quick. You're needed at the hospital. It's urgent." The ANBU beckoned her forward with his hand and after a moment, disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sakura shivered involuntarily and looked over at Sasuke with as calm a composure as she could keep.

"I should go. Thanks for letting me tag along." She had taken a step forward when Sasuke outstretched his hand and placed a firm grip on her forearm.

"I'm coming with you."

It was not a question, and after a moment, Sakura nodded, feeling a bit more comfortable with Sasuke by her side.

But that didn't cure the wretched notion that was plaguing not only hers, but Sasuke's thoughts as well.

* * *

The adrenaline rush carried her fast, and she was thankful to force herself to slow her pace once inside the hospital. It seemed rather empty though, increasing the sick feeling inside her. Her and Sasuke passed through the hallways in silence, taking in the white, numbing color. The nurse at the front desk was the last voice she had heard, and she had only spoken to tell Sakura where she needed to go. The nurse, too, seemed extremely dismayed. It was almost as if Sakura were on a slide leading down to nowhere except a muddy puddle. The outcome was inevitable, and unfortunate. Why, with every step she took, did it feel like she was sliding closer to a dark and murky situation?

"Walk faster." Sasuke ordered, keeping one step behind her, though he could have easily taken the lead. He obviously was sensing her rising hysteria. And trying to avoid his own as well.

She pushed her negatives thoughts behind her and focused on moving into a steady jog. Sasuke did the same.

Room 2247. Intensive care unit.

Was somebody dying? Was it somebody she knew? Was she the only one who could perform the medical procedures required, considering Lady Tsunade was out on a mission? Was it a friend?

They made it to the doors, coming to a halt when a shinobi outside the door frowned at Sakura. His worry lines were well defined.

"You're here." He said solemnly.

Sakura nodded. "What's the problem?"

A pause.

"Go on in." His reply.

Sasuke ushered her in by placing his hand on the small of her back. Without hesitation, Sakura placed both palms on the door and thrust it open, revealing the muddy puddle she had just sunk into.

It was the feeling that the ground you stood on was pulled out from underneath you and you no longer had that foundation to keep you steady. It was like a million spiders crawling under your skin. It was the type of situation that you believed could never happen to you..._until _it happened to you.

Her sight focused in on the body lying on the thin, now red-stained sheet. Then she took in the bright lights above and how they illuminated the scene. She noticed the three ANBU standing silently in the corners. The big room and it's dull white walls. The overwhelming, heat stopping, bone chilling sensation choking her moral reasoning.

Her stomach dropped, her breathing became still, and she stared in disbelief at Lady Tsunade, lying on her back on the table, her chest barely moving up and down. Her clothing was torn and bloody, her skin was pale and caked with mud. Her eyes were closed, until one opened slightly to spot Sakura, who appeared to be frozen to the floor. And frozen in time.

And Sasuke simply stood beside her, taking in the scene as well. He noticed Naruto standing by the wall behind Tsunade. His cheeks were red and tear-stained, and he was standing next to Shizune, who looked pretty much as rugged, and Kakashi, who refused to take his eyes off the floor. They must have been here much earlier. How long, exactly, had Tsunade been here...and what exactly was going on?

With a deep, and probably painful, breath, Tsunade spoke quietly to Sakura. She strained to sound as normal as possible so she wouldn't scare the pink haired girl. "If looks could kill."

Sakura flinched, regaining her sense of reality, and slowly took the few steps to stand by her mentors side.

"What...what happened?" Sakura choked, feeling a burning sensation at the back of her eyes.

_Pull it together. You are not going to cry, got it? You're not!_

"You tell me. You look like...somebody just died." Tsunade reached her scratched hand out a little ways and Sakura immediately met it, holding onto her cold hand as if it was her lifeline. It was then that she noticed the diamond shaped mark was missing from Tsunade's forhead. Swallowing hard, Sakura replied.

"Where's your...who did this? I can't..." But it was useless. With every second that passed, Sakura could feel the life slip from the flesh she was caressing in her hands. How much damage had Tsunade's body been inflicted with? What the _hell _happened these last few days?!

Sasuke took a step inside the room and placed himself on the wall beside the door. He couldn't quite register the sight of Sakura and Naruto falling apart in front of him, nor the Hokage lying in a hospital bed looking as if she only had moments to live.

This was a nightmare, wasn't it? Pinch him, he's dreaming.

-

_"I never really understood." Tsunade muttered quietly, catching Sasuke off guard. He kept his eyes closed, but listened to her words. "I...I never understood how you could walk away from the village like you did. I was sure I was so resentful of you for that. But now...I understand."_

_He felt a heavy feeling fill his chest. Her voice was so sad now..._

_"I'm leaving on a mission after this and I'm going to do all I can to avenge Jiraiya's death."_

-

He remembered her words the day she left. And now...he felt guilty. Was this his fault? Should he have stopped her? What more could be do? She was the Hokage. She knew his feelings. How did this happen to her?!

...could this have happened to him?

"Her chalkra's depleted, and so is the chalkra she saved up." Kakashi answered Sakura's unasked question about her missing mark. His voice was dull as well, just like the dead aura fitting the room.

A low, painful groan at Kakashi's words escaped Tsunade's throat, and Sakura squeezed her hand tighter.

"I'll get you all fixed up. I can do it. I prom-" But Tsunade cut off Sakura's desperate words.

"Sakura, it's okay." Was all she said.

For a moment, Sakura couldn't even register her teacher's words. Was Tsunade crazy? Was _she _going crazy?

_How is this okay? How can you say that to me?_

Sakura bit her lip, feeling her eyes well up. She could feel it. She could feel Tsunade's life slowly slipping from her. It was all around the room. Everybody could. Especially her and Naruto.

"It's going to be fine. Don't be afraid." Tsunade's weary eyes met Sakura's tear-filled ones, and in that moment, nothing else mattered to Sakura. Not Sasuke. Not her own life. Nothing. Just that moment kept her from falling into little pieces. "I ran into the Akatsuki, and the rest is a little blurry. I don't remember exactly what happened but...I went in too hastily, and I imagine I'd do it the same way again if I could, but you have to promise me you won't do that. You have...to promise me you won't let history repeat itself, Sakura."

Sakura's whole body started trembling. Sasuke simply watched, feeling her agony overwhelm him, too. Why did he suddenly feel so attached to Tsunade? It didn't make sense.

A long silence filled the room, besides Naruto's almost silent sobs and the tension around the room.

"I...I..." Sakura stuttered hopelessly.

"Promise me." Tsunade demanded, her voice becoming cold and shallow.

"I promise." Sakura answered immediately, not fully grasping the meaning of her promise.

"I know you're destined for great things, Sakura. I've taught you well." A small smile crossed her pale, cold lips. She turned her head slowly in the opposite direction, crumpling her face slightly in discomfort. "Naruto, get over here." And like a dog, he obeyed, reaching her side.

Everything felt like the clock was ticking down, and all the world was falling silent to this moment. It was then that Sakura realized that some of the elders were actually in the room, along with Kurenai and a few other shinobi. How could she be so unaware of that? No, how could she be so completely oblivious to what was going on?! This must have been the horrible feeling she felt all day. This was it.

"Sasuke." Tsunade called, startling him into motion. He was beside Sakura in an instant as well.

When his eyes met Tsunade's, a dark feeling cast over him. He felt as if he should say something, but he couldn't. Felt as if he knew...but he didn't. It was as if she was telling him to be careful, yet it was a secret. And Tsunande didn't even know it. At least...she didn't know she knew...

_Where is she? Where is Kalei? What really happened, Tsunade?_

"Lady Tsunade...please...you need rest." Sakura pleaded, earning a tired scowl from Tsunade.

"Sasuke. Sakura. Naruto. Listen to me. You've..." And her words started getting softer...and each heart cracked a little more. "You've all been chosen for something special. I _know _this. It was no coincidence that you all trained under the Sanin. You...you must save the village." Her eyes rested on Sakura, whose tears were now cascading down her cheek. "All of you...you must...take our p-place. You...must become..." Her eyelids fluttered, pushing Sakura into hysteria. She wasn't even listening to Tsunade's words anymore. She couldn't even remember to breathe.

"Tsunade! Tsunade, please! Don't leave me!" There was no longer time for "Lady" Tsunade. She broke into sobs, and Tsunade squeezed her hand one last time.

"Sakura, Naruto...even though tomorrow we won't be together....there is something you must...always remember. You are braver than you believe...s-stronger than you seem...and...and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is...even when we're apart...I'll always...be with...you." And the last words faded into a silence that ripped apart Sakura's sanity.

And that was it. Tsunade's hand slipped from Sakura's...and her chest stopped moving. Her eye lids closed. Her heart stopped. And here was Sakura...left alone...

How much more could be taken from her? How much more pain could she endure before she broke?

And what about the village...

What about...everything...

And the clock ticked...

Over and over again...

And after ten minutes of hard crying...

Of unbearable pain...

Of nothing Sakura had ever felt before...

...she swallowed down her tears. At least until she could get herself inside her own home. There she would drown herself in misery. Right now, everything else around her was fading. Unreal and blurry.

Sasuke stood by numbly, pain slowly creeping through him, and yet, he was unbelievably curious about Kalei.

_Where is she...is she dead, too?_

He closed his eyes and payed his respects to Tsunade, all the while listening to the muffled cries in the room. Machine's beeped. And Sauske could swear he could hear hearts breaking.

Naruto, too, had regained a bit of composure, standing next to Kakashi in the corner. Nurses flooded the room, covering the body...taking care of the things Sakura should have been taking care of. But she was unable to move. Her eyes were red. Her face was pale, and she did not speak until, when the door opened, she heard a familiar voice down the hall.

"But she'd heal faster if somebody tended to her. Then you could get all your answers."

It was Taru. His voice was surprisingly calm and controlled, interesting Sakura in a sick way. Taru was close to Tsunade. Did he not know she had just died? Maybe...she should go tell him...?

Willing herself into motion, rigid and weak, she turned her body and Sasuke was by her side in an instant.

"You should go home." He whispered to her, maybe out of pity...but mostly in a manner of not wanting to watch another person push herself to death. Even by a broken heart. After a moment, she just shook her head, taking a step into the hall. She noticed Taru at the end of the hall...covered in...blood?

What the hell was going _on_?! Why did Taru look bloody, too?

"Sakura." Sasuke's voice reached her again, and this time she was compelled to answer.

"Go take care of Naruto."

"_You _need me."

His firm answer caused her to look blankly at him for a moment. He looked a bit shaken as well, which, for some reason, pleased Sakura. She didn't want to be the only one shattered right now. Her stoic eyes turned in front of her again and they both made their way to where Taru and Anko were standing, in front of a room occupied by a patient. The door was open, and something inside Sakura pulled her towards it. No permission. No nothing. Just pure uncontrolled movement, until she took a few steps into the room and felt a splitting pain erupt from inside her. As if somebody had just knocked the wind out of her, she gasped for air and covered her mouth with her right hand, feeling as though she were seconds away from vomiting.

Kalei was laying in the bed, half naked. Her clothing was torn, her face was bruised and bloody, and her legs looked crumpled. It was clear they were both broken. Over her mouth was an oxygen mask, and numerous machines were connected to every pary of her body. They must not have even tried to save Tsunade, because they knew with her chalkra depletion, her chance of recovery was slim. Sakura wasn't quite sure what type of injuries Tsunade had sustained exactly, but she was sure she would find out in a couple days. And the aura around Tsunade made it clear...there was no saving her. It was obvious by the lack of medical attention and machines present in the room.

But this...Kalei...was hanging on by a thread. She had a chance. The scent of blood and medicine was all over the room and it caught Sakura's attention immediately. Normally Sakura could stomach it, but not this time. The blood was too...tainted. Kalei never looked so miserable and destroyed. Sakura felt a flash of pity, and then ultimately was pissed. _Tsunade _should have been the one to have a chance to survive. Not this selfish, evil-

"Can you heal her?"

Sakura gasped for air, realizing she was cutting off her own breathing. Taru stood beside her and placed his hand on her shaky shoulder, earning a distasteful stare from Sasuke, who was on the other side of Sakura. It was clear she wasn't stable. And Sasuke didn't like Taru pretending she was. Nor had the two of them really had any contact since their last uncomfortable encounter, so naturally, Sasuke still wasn't fond of him.

"W-what?" Sakura muttered, keeping her eyes on a mangled Kalei.

Taru took a deep breath. "I said...can you heal her?"

Sakura just blinked. Over and over and over again. Was that...worry in his voice? "T-Taru." She turned to him with a look of disbelief and misery on her face. "Tsunade's dead. She's...she's dead."

Taru stared into her jade eyes...feeling a tight hold squeeze his heart. He didn't want Sakura to hurt like this.

"I know." He replied quietly and hesitantly. He motioned to Kalei with his left hand and then focused back on Sakura. "That's why we need her healed. She's due for interrogation. We need her for answers."

Sakura digested his words and swallowed hard, feeling as though she had just swallowed needles. Where was Taru's sympathy?

She glanced at Kalei once more, and knew the right thing to do was heal her. It would help know exactly what had just happened with the Hokage. But for some reason...

"I can't do it." She mumbled under her breath, so quiet nobody heard her. Even Sasuke tightened his lip at her inaudible answer.

Taru inclined his head toward her and furrowed his brow. "Excuse me?"

Instantly, she shot her head up at Taru with a dirty look on her visage, and shouted at him. "I won't do it!"

Taru took a step back, eyes wide, ears ringing, while Sasuke stared at Sakura with utter amazement. Was she serious? Did she hate Kalei that much?

Sakura was fuming, and she turned on her heel. "_You _like her so much. _You _heal her." She started marching out the door when she quickly caught Sasuke's eye and yelled at him as well. "Don't follow me!" And in a few more steps, she was out of the room, stomping through the hospital to wherever she felt she needed to go.

Both Sasuke and Taru stood in the room in complete silence. After a minute, Taru sighed deeply and ran his hand through his hair in aggravation. Two ANBU shinobi and Anko gestured for him and Sasuke to leave the room and let Kalei get her rest. But before Sasuke completely left the room, he glanced over his shoulder at Kalei...who was bruised and broken...and several thoughts ran through his mind.

-

_"Stop it! Stop it!" Kiako squealed, pushing her way in between their legs. "I'm sorry! I never meant to hurt her! I just thought it was for the best."_

_Sasuke clenched his fists at his sides. "What was for the best?"_

_Taru's hazel eyes locked on Sasuke's onyx ones, and he swept Kiako up into his arms._

_"What are you hiding, Shokei?" Sasuke whispered loudly._

_"Nothing you need to worry yourself with, Uchiha." Taru snapped, leaping out of sight._

-

How did things manage to get so complicated in so little time?

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_The Face Inside_


	16. The Face Inside

**I realize it takes so long to get these up..  
And I'm sorry for that.  
Well, I hope you like this chapter..  
Read and review..  
And I'll try to get the next one up sooner!**

* * *

_Chapter Sixteen:  
The Face Inside_

_"And I've lost who I am and I can't understand why my heart is so broken, rejecting your love."_

* * *

The room was screaming at her. It's walls were howling bloody words of pain, anxiety, and sorrow, but she couldn't make out any of them. The voices in her mind were too loud and too jumbled, yet there was silence filling her to the brink of insanity, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Sakura walked slowly and painfully through Tsunade's large office, taking tiny steps to her desk, where on its shiny wooden surface was a beautiful tall glass vase, teeming with bright yellow and orange flowers of many kinds. They looked like flowers picked from the Eternity Garden. Flowers Sakura had once found so beautiful.

After walking like a zombie through the empty and grieving village, Sakura had found herself at her masters office. Or what use to be her office.

It was hours later and the sky was a dark pale blue with all the invisible clouds hiding the stars. It was late and Sakura was tired. She was tired mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Upon reaching the desk, Sakura shivered. The clock hanging on the wall to the right of her chimed an eerie melody, indicating it was midnight.

A day until Sakura's birthday.

She slowly turned the vase and found a white slip of paper with pink designs on it. It was addressed to Sakura, and as she read it, her eyes burned, but she could not cry. Were all her tears were dried out?

_-_

_Sakura,_

_I wasn't sure what to give you, considering you've given me so much._

_But I hope you know I've given you my blessing, my appreciation, and my pride._

_And that's more than I could give anybody else._

_Tsunade._

_-_

In an unconscious rage, she picked up the glass vase, took a step to the right of the desk, and dropped it. The glass, fragile enough, shattered into a million tiny pieces at Sakura's feet, and she stared at it blankly, watching water bleed all over the floor and soak up the white note. Tsunade must have had somebody put this here for Sakura. The last thing she had left of Tsunade. And she wanted to get rid of it.

_This doesn't make any sense._

She slowly got onto her knee's, feeling the sharp pieces of glass sink into her cold flesh. The pain wasn't enough to wake her up from the unbearable nightmare. It just wasn't.

_Lady Tsunade, how could you just go and leave me all alone like this?_

This time, she felt a few tears escape her pale green eyes as she rested both her palms on the floor, taking in more shards of broken glass. She felt the warm liquid, blood, seep from her skin, and she took a deep breath, smelling insanity ooze from within her.

_How could you do this to me? How could you go and leave me all alone? Not you, too...Lady Tsunade. Why would you do this?_

Her eyes found a larger piece of glass mixed in with the smaller ones and she very slowly and timidly brought her hand over to grasp it. She grabbed hold of it and squeezed it gently, causing the blood from her hand to flow faster. Taking another deep breath, she brought it up to eye level, staring at it with an intensity like a fire burning through a dry forest.

_I don't want to be alone anymore._

After a few seconds of deliberating, she closed her eyes and cleared her mind, feeling numb and out of touch with herself...out of touch with reality. In one swift movement, she turned the glass to the sharpest, deadliest point, and thrust it toward her vulnerable neck. She felt a sharp, intense pain creep around her neck and instantly felt her senses slip away as she opened her eyes and saw everything blurring into darkness. The glass piece fell to the floor with the others, and she was unconscious before she could even tell if she had fallen into the other shards.

_

* * *

_

-

_"Take care of everything, got it? One screw up, and I'll have your heads." Tsunade winked at Kakashi as he and Kurenai stood on either side of a pouty Kiako._

_"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Kurenai nodded. _

_"Stop looking so grim...I'll only be gone a couple of days." Tsunade groaned. "And don't forget...nine days until-"_

_"Yeah...yeah...don't worry. We'd never forget that." Kakashi moaned._

_-_

Kakashi sighed, walking into the waiting room. Eight days had passed already. Eight days ago Tsunade had left, and told Kakashi not to forget about Sakura's birthday. And he felt miserable, not just for the situation, but also for her. How did this happen on somebody's birthday? _Sakura's _none-the-less. No way could there be a god for something this incredibly horrible to happen.

"Get some sleep."

Kakashi looked up from the white floor to see Taru slouching on the dark purple couch. His body position looked as if he were comfortable, but his tense shoulders and wide eyes gave him away. He was tired and nervous, but most of all, he looked terrified underneath it all.

Letting out a sarcastic and quiet laugh, Kakashi turned and started walking toward the exit.

"I think you should go get some sleep. It's already past midnight. Naruto went home with Sasuke. Why are you still even here?" His low tone reached Taru, who sat up and leaned into his knee's,

After a long pause, Taru spoke firmly. "Kalei." His tired and dull eyes rested on Kakashi, who was glancing over his shoulder at the brown haired boy. "Kalei's still here. I'm waiting for her to wake up."

Kakashi nodded and turned around. "Alright. I'm going to go check on Kiako then." He started walking to the door and Taru rubbed his hand roughly over his face, turning his head toward the floor.

This didn't seem right at all. He knew it wasn't, but he never thought it would feel this so completely...

"Excuse me."

A nurse walked into the waiting room, which was empty except for Taru, and called to him. He glanced at the clock, not even realizing it had been a whole twenty minutes since Kakashi had left the room.

"Miss Hitsuchi is ready for visitors. That's who you're waiting for, right? Would you like to come see her?"

Taru swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, thanks."

The nurse nodded and turned to walk down the hallway. In an instant, Taru was behind her, feeling fidgety but suddenly flooded with relief. After what seemed like forever of walking, they reached an open door and the nurse turned to Taru and bowed. She then turned back toward the waiting room and walked off, leaving him to see Kalei alone.

He took three deep breaths and walked into the doorway, spotting Kalei facing away from him and soaking wet with a white towel wrapped around her tan, slim body.

It took him a moment to remember how to speak.

"Wow." Came his low, rigid tone.

Kalei brought her hair to her right side and rung it out, causing droplets to fall on the floor beside her unmade bed. The bathroom door to her left was still open and Taru could see the light through the doorway. She had clearly just showered but how long had she actually been awake?

"Yeah, wow." She replied solemnly. She was so quiet he could barely catch her words.

"You're okay?" He spat instantly, the words rushed and showing all his inner relief. He took a few steps into the doorway and sighed so heavily his shoulder heaved up and then down. He then watched Kalei as she turned around slowly. When her eyes met his, his heart stopped.

There was something in her eyes that he hadn't seen in what seemed like forever.

Tears.

Not falling down her red cheeks...her cheeks that looked like they were filling with life. Just pools of sadness cradled in her dark, mysterious eyes.

"I'm okay." She whispered. She dropped her towel and turned toward her bed, where her clothes were folded neatly. Taru, seeming completely unaffected by her being naked, took another step toward her and ran his hand through his dark, long hair.

"When's your interrogation?"

"Had it already."

His eyes widened at her quick, monotone response. "Really? How long have you been awake?"

Kalei slipped on her underwear and bra and glanced over her shoulder at Taru. "A while." She then turned her attention back to her clothes.

Taru frowned. "Okay...well, what did they all ask you?"

Quickly, and gracefully, she slipped on a white turtle neck and black pants, emphasizing her skinny figure. The silver heart pendant that Kiako had been wearing earlier was draped beautifully around her neck.

"When did you put this on me?" She asked quietly, running her slender fingers over the emblem.

"Right when I found you."

"I see."

"What did the ANBU want to know?"

"Just what happened."

Taru perked at eyebrow at her as she ran her fingers through her wet hair. She walked to the bathroom, turned off the light, and turned to Taru, now giving him her full attention.

"What _did _happen?" Taru asked, now hushing his voice. Kalei glanced at the doorway and then at Taru. After taking two steps toward him, she narrowed her eyes. She was now only about two feet from him and he could smell a different scent to her. It was a mix of peaches and cinnamon, and it seemed to smell sweet and spicy all in one. Kind of like Kalei's attitude in general.

"We were in the middle of somewhere, I don't remember, and we were ambushed. There were easily twenty, no, thirty shinobi surrounding us. I saw Pein and Konan, not Toby, a.k.a. Madara, but I didn't get a good look. They were in the shadows." Taru watched her eyes intently as she spoke very matter-of-factly. "Next thing I knew, they attacked Tsunade and I. I was caught, knocked unconscious, and the rest is a blur."

After a long moment of silence, Taru nodded, a stoic expression taking over his face.

_This is wrong._

"That's what you say if anyone asks." Kalei whispered more dangerously and Taru nodded once more, feeling a tingly sensation creep over his skin. Is this what evil felt like, or maybe the plain flat out guilt...to an unbelievable extent?

"Kakashi's with your sister. Naruto's with Sasuke. Grandma Tsunade's body is already being...taken care of." He choked on the last part and Kalei nodded. "But...you're okay? When my team and I were sent out to look for you and Tsunade..all I could think about-" He repeated quietly, choking on the end of his words.

After a moment, Kalei smiled faintly and placed her hand on his cheek. Her cold skin made him shiver. "Am I ever okay?" Her eyes bore into his as he opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it. He turned his cheek into her hand and groaned. "It will be okay soon, I promise you." Her smile faded and so did her soothing tone. She gently patted his cheek and turned to walk away from him as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He turned to watch her walk away and she glanced over her shoulder at the doorway.

"Thanks for everything." She wasn't quite smiling, but her face had more emotion. Taru, on the other hand, smiled back, his mischievous smile, only this time there was a tame hint to it, and nodded.

"Anytime, Kalei."

* * *

Her eyelids felt unnaturally heavy, and her stomach was flipping, revealing a sick feeling deep inside her, this making her dizzy and nauseous. She attempted to twist her arms and legs into motion, but felt weak. Realizing she was on something soft and warm, she slowly peeled her eyes open. After being successful at that, she blinked a few times to clear her blurry, sleepy vision.

She was...in her room? It was dark and her eyes weren't quite adjusted, but she could tell from the feel of her bed, the scent of her sheets and the window on the wall to the left of her. She tried to sit up quickly, a bit in shock, but felt a sudden numbness creep over her and she fell onto her back once more. Letting out a soft groan, she cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and halted herself up onto her left elbow to glance around and make sure she was in her room. A tiny, dim light was coming through her half-open door and it illuminated something odd in her room.

She raised both her eyebrows curiously as she noticed Suigetsu and Karin sprawled on the floor with one blanket between them. Well, not quite between them. Suigetsu had it draped over his body while Karin had both her arms wrapped around herself loosely. And they were asleep. Their breaths were the only thing that could be heard in the room, and Sakura stared at them for a moment, unable to clearly process why they were sleeping...on her floor.

She couldn't even pinpoint what she was feeling right now. Curiosity? Maybe. Anger? Somewhat. Numb? Completely. Sad? Yes.

Suddenly, everything started to come back to her, making an intense shiver of terror dance down her spine. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The terrible stinging feeling was there behind her eyes, but they wouldn't tear up. She had cried all her tears, clearly. There was nothing else to do.

And then everything else was coming back to her, too...and then all she really wanted to know was...

...why wasn't she dead?

She clearly remembered charging that shard of glass toward her neck so how come-

Her eyes shot to the two sleeping freaks on her floor and she ground her teeth together, feeling suddenly and incomprehensibly angry.

_So that pain in my neck wasn't the glass. It was one of those two taking a shot at a pressure point._

All the thinking made her head start to throb so she took a few more deep breaths and slowly got onto her feet, feeling stiff and rather nauseous. She stumbled two steps to the foot of her bed toward her closet to grab some clothes, when she looked down and realized she was in new clothes; pink shorts that hugged her thighs and a long sleeve white shirt.

_Ugh._

Karin must have changed her.

How long had she been sleeping?

"You're awake. You can sleep more if you'd like."

Sakura slowly turned her body to face Suigetsu, who was cooing to her in a whisper. One eye was open and he had his body slightly turned away from her, as if he were still extremely sleepy.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered back, as equally groggy. Every joint was sore, every muscle was tight. Every swallow hurt and every heart beat stung.

Suigetsu slowly sat up, pushing the blanket to the side of him. Karin continued to sleep, letting out muffled snores.

"We stayed with you. I tried to stay awake but," He glanced at Karin and then back at Sakura, shrugging and grinning slightly, "we ended up crashing."

"How long was I asleep?" Sakura asked immediately, slowly making her way to the door. Her steps were robotic, and Suigetsu could tell she was tense. It had to be from the tragic news. Her body shut down; it couldn't take anymore.

"Maybe you should lie down-"

"How long?" Sakura cut him off, reaching the door and putting her hand on it to steady her. She turned around to face him and rested her back on the door, her green eyes piercing his.

"Maybe twenty some hours. It's been a whole day, Sakura."

Without warning, when Sakura tired to take a deep breath, it caught in her throat, making her try to gasp for more breaths. Her back slowly slid down the door and she clutched onto her shirt, trying to breath.

"Oh god..." She cried under her breath. Suigetsu immediately jumped up and over Karin, waking her, to crouch by Sakura's side.

Karin sat up and rubbed her eyes, assesing the situation. "She okay?"

"So...Lady Tsunade...it wasn't a dream...she's dead...and she's probably already being buried...?" The breaths came harder and Suigetsu pulled her hand off her shirt and pulled her into him, squeezing her head to his chest.

"For the love of God, will you breathe?" His snarled, with more worry than annoyance. Karin shifted to get a better look at Sakura. "I don't know what they are doing as far as any burial goes, but I do know it's been a whole day and you need to get yourself together and go make arrangements with that Shizune woman." He hissed again, feeling Sakura slowly, and rigidly, start catching breaths. He heard her grunt furiously into his chest, trying to completely regain composure.

"A whole day..." She croaked, her voice harsh from gasping. "You still haven't explained...why you're here."

"Why else?" Karin murmured under her breath with clear resentment. "Sasuke wanted us to make sure you'd be okay."

Sakura's eyes widened and she pried herself away from Suigetsu's grip, feeling able to breathe now.

"Where's Sasuke?" She asked, turning her attention to Suigetsu.

"Not sure. I think with Naruto." He answered.

A pause.

"How's Naruto?"

"How would I know?" He asked calmly, being careful not to upset her.

She nodded and sighed, getting to her feet. It hurt, but she managed, and Suigetsu and Karin stood up right after her.

She didn't feel strong, she didn't feel normal, and she didn't feel complete. But she had to hold herself together at least for a couple more hours until she could lock herself up inside her own house without anybody interfering her grieving.

To mourn in agony; that was the only birthday present she wanted.

And oh, what a birthday she was having!

* * *

Sasuke solemnly walked through the streets of Konoha. They once looked so familiar. Now they were desolate and dead, grieving with pain nobody here had felt in a long time. He didn't really know what to feel, so he shut it out of his mind. Better to feel nothing than to feel something in this situation.

He had just left Naruto at the city hall with Shizune and Kakashi and now all he wanted was to walk around and loathe this place normally, as if nothing had ever disturbed its placid aura.

In the midst of his thoughts, he felt a raindrop hit his cheek and he stopped to glance up at the dark, pale sky. Without warning, something made him feel severely uncomfortable; a bad feeling overcame him, as if something horrible were about to happen. He swallowed hard and took a few more steps.

He was walking by an old deserted building toward the end of town. It's grey concrete was chipped and cracked and screamed of poor abandonment. When he reached the end of the building there was nothing but grass and patches of dirt and a long stretch of lonely land that reached over until you came to the border of the village.

Upon reaching the end of the building, he slowed and glanced around it, surprisingly catching something off in the distance. Maybe he was simply seeing things, for the rain had picked up to a steady fall, but after focusing his eyes, he noticed two people off in the distance. One person was on his or her knees with their right arm outstretched to the sky and the other person was simply standing about five feet in front of the other person looking down at them.

After observation, Sasuke recognized the people.

Taru, in baggy brown pants and a dark green sweatshirt with the Konoha emblem on the front, was staring down almost disgustedly at Kalei, who was in a strapless black dress that reached her knees and became loose right at her hips. She had on long black gloves that reached past her elbows and her right hand was grasping at something in the air. Her black hair was matted straight down her back, for her head was tilted up toward the sky.

Sasuke felt a shiver run down his back at the awkward scene and he activated his sharingan to get a better look. A sharp pain trembled through his skull and he flinched, slowly pushing it away from his thoughts.

Taru's eyes looked pained and focused and Kalei's eyes were squinting, her teeth clenched tight and lips curled as if she were in the utmost agony. And her hand swayed slightly; her fingers curled and her wrist twisted as if searching for something in the sky. The rain poured around both of them and then Sasuke caught a glimpse of something truly disturbing and completely atypical.

Among the raindrops painting Kalei's face, he noticed a tear fall from her tightly closed eye...only...the teardrop looked red from where Sasuke was standing. A brilliant red that quickly shot down her cheek and then was washed away by the rain.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and he noticed her chest heave as if in need of air, and he quickly turned and slid over a step so his back was against the rough concrete wall. Out of sight.

He didn't want to be seen watching them. Something looked wrong right now and he wasn't sure what his excuse would be for spying. His eyes turned from a deadly red back to a dark onyx and he shuddered, feeling a sensation of relief melt through him. His head still throbbed but it was dull and ignorable.

Sasuke didn't normally feel like this, so he felt a surge of uneasiness.

Something was going on with Kalei. And Taru must be involved.

Sasuke focused his eyes on the wet ground in front of him. His stare was intense and his breathing was heavy...until out of nowhere a single cherry blossom petal fluttered in front of him. His eyes locked on it and after a moment, he brought his hand out and caught it in the blink of an eye.

_There are no cherry blossom trees around here..._

He stared at his closed fist and then after a second or two, opened it to reveal his hand was empty. There was no cherry blossom petal in his hand.

His eyes searched the ground around him but it was nowhere to be found.

_Great. I'm hallucinating._

Then, he swallowed hard...piecing his bad feelings together.

_Sakura._

And something made him take off back toward town.

_

* * *

_

_-_

_She sobbed loudly, cradling her head in her hands, comfortable in the fetal position, while Tsunade watched her. Just like a baby, Sakura was whining about Sasuke not coming back. But unlike a baby, it had been seven months, and everybody had expected Sasuke to be back by now._

_"Sakura." Tsunade spoke slowly. Sakura's wailing continued. "Listen to me. This is no time to have a break down. You're suppose to go on a mission bright and early tomorrow."_

_Sakura's head shot up and the sight of her swollen, red eyes making Tsunade flinch. It's not like she was being too hard. She just needed Sakura focused._

_"He's not coming back, is he? I mean, he'd be back by now. He's dead, isn't-"_

_"He is not!" Tsunade whispered harshly, looking around the room._

_It was 2 in the morning and Sakura had come all the way down to the city hall to talk to Tsunade. She was wide awake with paper work, but irritable by it too, so the interruption from Sakura was not a pleasant surprise. However, when she heard Sakura's crying and listened to her worries..she couldn't help but sympathize and realized she needed to help Sakura. Everybody had felt a broken heart before._

_"Then what?" Sakura choked, her words barely audible through the squeaking and deep breaths. "He isn't coming home? He doesn't want to be here?"_

_Tsunade sighed and crouched down to Sakura's level. She reached over to hold Sakura, but Sakura swatted her hands away and buried her head in her hands once more. This time, without giving Sakura any option, Tsunade used her strength to pull a reluctant Sakura into her arms._

_"He's not dead, Sakura. Just believe he isn't dead." Tsunade whispered to her._

_And she held Sakura until the morning, when she finally fell asleep. Tsunade called off the mission she was suppose to go on and she layed down beside Sakura, in the middle of her office, and fell asleep with her._

-

Sakura tightly shut her eyes against the memory fogging her thoughts. She could now feel the rain hitting her shoulders and the puddles of water she trudged through. Walking blindly through the streets of Konoha in the pouring rain...what better way to spend a birthday.

"Sakura."

_Sasuke._

After registering the voice in her head, she slowly pried her heavy eyelids open and noticed Sasuke, ten feet from her, soaking wet and staring at her with a face she hadn't seen before. It was almost emotionless, except Sakura could notice the worry in his eyes and the way he held his body.

She just stared at him blankly, eyelids droopy and body slouched. She never said anything. Never moved.

"...Your birthday..."

Now her eyes slowly opened wide and her body started shivering. Suddenly pools of tears flooded her eyes and overflowed but nobody could tell. It was raining.

_Sasuke...how did you...how did you know..._

"How did you know...?" She whispered under her breath, dropping her head down so her wet hair fell in front of her. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. Sasuke, obviously unable to hear her, took a step toward her.

"How did you know it was my birthday?" She whispered again to herself. Sasuke hadn't heard, but he noticed her knees suddenly give out and as she was almost about to fall to her knees, he ran to her side.

He used his speed and reached her before she had even started falling, and he caught her as she fell into him. And then the wailing started. She left both her arms and her side and buried her face into Sasuke's shirt. Her back shook and the rain drowned out most of her sobs, but they were loud, and Sasuke had never seen her cry this hard before.

But he was proud of her. She hadn't broken down in the hospital. She had held it this long, and that was good enough.

It was Sakura. Emotional Sakura. And he was always expecting her to cry.

_It's okay Sakura. I'm here for you. My birthday present for you...is just to be with you right now...when you need someone most._

He slowly let himself rest onto his knees and he shifted Sakura so she was on her knees as well, only her knees were slanted to the left and she was leaning into him from her side. She turned her head to the left a bit and continued to cry. Continued to bawl uncontrollably.

Sasuke just held her, keeping his hands tight on her back so she knew he was keeping her safe. He wanted her to know he was there for her. She had somebody to count on.

He glanced down at her, kept a burst of pain rip through his skull and squinted his eyes. His vision became blurry but he shook it off. Then, as he brought his gaze back up, he noticed Kalei, two feet from him, standing tall in the rain.

He jumped involuntarily and immediately glared at her. It was instinct.

_How did she just appear here? Is she that fast? And why didn't I notice her chalkra or hear her?_

Then he relaxed his glare as he noticed her holding out a cherry blossom branch. Now confusion gripped him as he heart Kalei softly and gently call Sakura's name.

Sakura opened her eyes and turned her body to Kalei, hiccuping from the crying fit. Her eyes widened and focused on the cherry blossom branch.

-

_Sakura had picked a small cherry blossom branch off a tree by the side of the road, and was twirling it around in her fingers. It made her feel happier for some reason..._

_Kalei's chest slowly moved back and forth, like she was just focusing on breathing. Her eyes watched the ruffling water being pelted by the raindrops, when all of a sudden she seen a sakura branch fall into the water in front of her. Her eyes slowly widened._

_"You know, the rain's not so bad...once you get used to it." Sakura uttered delicately. She had tossed the sakura branch into the water, watching it get absorbed by the raindrops._

_Sakura was completely caught daydreaming when Kalei thrust her hand in front of her, cherry blossom branch outstretched. Sakura eyed it curiously and then grabbed it gently, wondering why Kalei was giving it to her._

_"Something so beautiful should not go to waste." Was her answer. Sakura held the flower as the petals slowly came off._

_-_

Sakura's eyes met Kalei and she felt her hand raise up to take the flower. Her fingers curled around the sakura branch and once she had a grip on it, she brought it down in front of her, her pale eyes never leaving Kalei's mysterious ones.

"Thank you." Sakura whispered.

Kalei nodded after a moment and turned to walk away. She had acted almost as if Sasuke wasn't even there. And this made him uneasy.

He turned his attention to Sakura to make sure she was okay. But the wailing had stopped...and now all she was doing was staring at Kalei like a kid stares at something new. Her eyes were wide and Kalei was the only thing in the world at that moment.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Kalei was at her house, showering.

She slipped on a black, long sleeve sweater and baggy white pants and let her wet hair fall all around her body.

She still felt dirty. Unclean. She couldn't wipe the blood from her skin.

Trying to push the past few days out of her mind, she walked down the hallway into her dark room, not turning the lights on. When she was a few feet in the door, she noticed her window was open, somebody sitting in it.

It was Sasuke.

She glanced at him and then turned her attention to her dresser to the left of her door.

"Hey." Sasuke said. His back was resting against the ledge, his knees were bent up and he was resting one arm across both of them while the arm closest to Kalei was resting beside him. He was on the opposite side of the room, right across from Kalei.

"Hey yourself." She replied, messing with something on the dresser. Sasuke couldn't see what she was doing, though his eyes had pretty much adjusted to the dark. She was in the way.

A moment of silence passed and Kalei started to feel uncomfortable, so she turned around and stared at Sasuke, only to notice him staring at his own feet. He noticed her turn around, but never moved his gaze.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Kalei asked, her words icy.

Sasuke glanced up at her and in that moment, Kalei felt all the feelings she had felt for Sasuke, and still felt, flare up inside of her. It was the way the moonlight slipped through the window and illuminated his body...his eyes...his face...

"For earlier...with Sakura?" He paused and Kalei sighed, realizing that all those feelings were worthless. What a joke. "Whatever you did, it helped. I finally got her home."

Kalei just stared at him and an awkward silence filled the room. Even Sasuke felt it...the feeling that there were things between them...a past they had left behind.

"Sure." Kalei responded in her monotone voice, turning back to her dresser. This time, Sasuke noticed her reach her hand over to a music box on the corner of the dresser. She rested her hand on top of it and then just stopped.

Was she waiting for him to leave?

"It's a shame, really." Kalei spoke again, not bothering to look at Sasuke or even turn to face him.

He listened to her and nodded, now turning his body so his back faced her, too, and his legs dangled outside the window.

"Yeah."

A pause.

"Glad you're okay." He said as he dropped out the window and out of sight.

Kalei just stood there for a minute or two, her heart pounding in her chest.

_He's easily ignorable. Just ignore him._

She glanced over her shoulder and a wicked smirk crossed her lips.

_I need him so...it's best to just ignore these feelings._

She turned her gaze back to the dresser and opened the music box with the hand that was resting on top of it. She reached inside it and pulled out a tiny glass vial filled with a crimson liquid. Inside the music box were two empty vials just like the one she was holding.

It was her secret.

It was her beginning and her end.

* * *

Taru stood outside her house, on the street, gazing at her home. It was two in the morning, so he wasn't expecting her to be awake...all the lights were off...but...

He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to tell her. He needed to tell her... They still weren't exactly on good terms but...

He sighed, shaking his head and cursing himself silently. He was being a stalker...this was ridiculous! What if Sakura saw him standing outside her house?!

He turned and started to walk down the street, feeling sad, confused, guilty, and so many other emotions he couldn't pinpoint.

* * *

Sitting up from laying down, Sakura glanced over the edge of her roof, watching Taru walk away. He had been standing outside her house for about ten minutes now and Sakura had quietly been watching him. She couldn't sleep, so she had spent the night on her roof thinking about everything.

And as she sat up, watching him walk away, she wanted so much to talk to him...

But something told her she should stay away.

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_The End Is Beginning_


	17. The End Is Beginning

****

First, I'd like to say that no...this isn't the last chapter.  
Not even close.  
There's atleast twenty more chapters actually.  
Something like that...  
And secondly...

Okay so I know some of you are really hating Kalei...  
You're suppose to...and then you're not suppose to.  
It's complicated. Have an open mind!  
I know lots of you dislike how this plot is going or whatever...  
But I have to say--sorry!  
Cuz she IS the plot. Or at least a good portion of it.  
So suck it up.  
A story isn't always suppose to go how _you_ want it to.  
What kinda of boring story would this be if i didn't try to stir up your emotions?  
ALL OF THEM!  
I love and appreciate all my readers...  
But this story is already thought out and isn't changing.  
So if you don't like it...don't waste your time and read it just to bitch about Kalei.  
Bitch about my spelling errors or something haha!  
ALSO--  
Of COURSE--it's SasuSaku.  
I'd be stupid to have it any other way.  
It's just...I want more of a plot. I want something that gets you upset and and emotional.  
And I don't want Kalei with Sasuke either...duh! :P :P  
So just keep in mind this will have a happy ending...  
Okay?!

Now...if you read these notes (whether you agree or not)...  
Put a (^^) at the end of your review or whatever.  
It'd be appreciated...so I know you guys know how I feel.

And please don't forget...  
I love you all!

* * *

_Chapter Seventeen:  
The End Is Beginning_

_"But nobody said that it would hurt so bad."_

* * *

Naruto was taking baby steps around a row of bushes entering the training field when he reached the clearing and spotted Hinata, Shikamaru, and Ino. Hinata was focusing her chalkra into her palms and punching at Shikamaru while he focused his chalkra into his hands to block her hits.

Instantly, Naruto remembered Hinata's confession and took a step back, but Hinata was facing him and spotted him instantly. She stopped punching suddenly and stared behind Shikamaru, who after a moment turned to look behind him. Ino was sitting by a tree just to the right of Hinata and Shikamaru, and when she saw Naruto she put on her best smile.

"Sorry." Naruto mumbled, turning on his heel to leave.

"Yo, Naruto, come train with us." Shikamaru called, causing Naruto to turn back around and wave his hands in front of him. His face was blank expect for a slight furrow of his eyebrows. He wasn't in the mood for any interaction with others.

"Nah, that's okay." His eyes met Hinata's and her head quickly shot to the ground. He noticed the blush creep across her cheeks and he immediately felt a tinge of guilt. He wasn't being very fair to her, especially because he never answered to her confession. But with everything that had happened...

"You sure?" Ino called, standing up and walking over to Shikamaru. "We were just helping Hinata blow off some steam. You look a like you could do that, too. Come on!"

Naruto flashed a fake smile and then shook his head once more. "Thanks, but I just forgot I had something else to do."

After a moment of silence, nobody moved, until Naruto nodded and turned to walk away. He had taken about two steps when Hinata called out to him.

"Naruto, wait!"

Naruto stopped and looked over his shoulder at her, stare blank. Hinata was closer, having taken a few steps toward him. Ino and Shikamaru stood behind her, watching the two of them.

"I-I'm sorry about Lady Tsunade. I know it must hurt. And-and...I hope you can forget what I...said to you the other night at the festival." She bowed her head, causing her long hair to fall to each side of her face.

Naruto turned around completely to look at her and after a moment she brought her back back up and stared at him like a deer in headlights. Naruto's blue eyes bore into hers, making her fidgety.

"No, Hinata, I'm sorry. I'm not being fair to you." He spoke, his voice rather monotone.

Hinata shivered. _This isn't like you, Naruto. I wish I could help you. _She bit down on her lips to conceal her nervousness as Naruto spoke again.

"Thank you for loving me." Right as he said those words, both Ino and Shikamaru's eyes shot open wide and they exchanged glances. "But right now, I'm in no position to return those feelings so..." He glanced at the ground beneath him and he could almost hear Hinata's heart sink. "I'm sorry."

Her eyes started tearing up but she blinked them away. Ino's face started to flush and she took a step forward.

"I-It's okay. Thanks for...being honest." Hinata flashed him a quick smile and swallowed hard. She expected this. He was already dealing with so much. What did she expect?

As Naruto started to turn around again, he heard Ino's harsh tone rip through her loud voice. "Hold on a minute, Naruto! Hinata had to build up a _lot _of-"

"Ino." Shikamaru hissed, causing Ino to stop and look back at him. He shook his head, indicating her to stop, and she frowned. When she turned her head back to look for Naruto, he was gone, and Hinata was left standing there, trying her hardest not to cry.

* * *

He made it to a large, deep pond on the other side of town when the painful memories of Tsunade's death were too much to handle. Naruto broke into silent tears as he stepped onto the water and slowly paced to the middle of it.

Oblivious to anybody in the area, Sasuke was standing a bit off behind a group of tree's watching Naruto curiously. He, too, had been trying to keep his mind off everything, but it was proving to be difficult. Actually, it became impossible when he noticed Naruto and his condition. He also became mildly curious of what the blond was up to when he stopped in the middle of the lake and reached both arms behind his neck.

After a moment, Naruto brought his left arm down to his side and held his right hand out in front of him with something dangling from his shaking fingers. It was then that Sasuke noticed it was the First Hokage's necklace, the prized treasure Tsunade had left Naruto many years ago.

Naruto, face stoic and hiding all the pain he could ever feel, dropped the necklace and as if in slow motion, it floated down and hit the surface of the water, the dark blue liquid swallowing up the beautiful jewelery. It sank to the bottom slowly and after a few minutes, Naruto glanced up into the morning sky..the morning sky that was being strangled by dark, grey clouds and an ominous sadness.

Sasuke just watched Naruto let his heart sink along with that necklace. After Naruto brought his gaze back down to the water, Sasuke turned away and decided it was time to check on the other one.

* * *

Sasuke was laying there, perfectly still and amazingly quiet for an hour straight until the clock struck nine and he heard slight rustling from the bed above him. His eyes were closed and he was almost asleep himself when he heard her.

"Maybe it'd be better if you got some sleep. At your own place."

Sakura's voice reached his ears and he responded, still keeping his eyes closed and not budging an inch.

"I did."

"Then how come you look so tired?"

Sasuke opened one eye and stared at Sakura, whose one arm was dangling over the edge of her bed, almost touching Sasuke's hair. Her head was fit snugly in between her arm and chest as she had her other arm bent in front of her to give her a boost to see Sasuke. Her eyes looked red and she had bags underneath them. Her hair was unkempt...and all the same, Sasuke couldn't find her to be unattractive in the slightest.

"How come _you _look so tired?" He mocked, closing his eye once again. Sakura pushed the mocking tone away and responded casually, yet in a tired manner.

"I went to sleep around one I guess. Actually...I couldn't sleep much."

A moment of silence passed and Sasuke sighed.

"Well wake up." He said, causing Sakura to stare at him blankly.

"What for?"

"Tsunade's memorial. I guess they're having one in a half hour."

Sakura flinched and glanced over at the clock on the wall way to the left of her room. It was nine o'clock. Then she looked back at Sasuke, who hadn't moved an inch and still had his eyes closed.

"I'm not going."

_Excuse me...did I hear this wrong?_

After a moment of registering her words, Sasuke opened both his eyes and looked at her as if she had said the most obnoxious and ridiculous thing in the world. She simply stared back with an oblivious expression.

"What?" Sasuke asked, his monotone voice hiding his utter astonishment.

Sakura closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them. "I don't feel like it."

Sasuke sat up instantly and turned his body to face her. Sakura pulled her head back and rested her right palm on the bed to hold her up. Surprisingly, Sasuke was giving her a disgusted look and this made her jump back.

"_What_?" She hissed, narrowing her eyes as well.

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something and then stopped. Instead of fighting with her, he'd ignore her. This was none of his business anyway, no matter how low he thought she had gone. How could she just ditch on her masters funeral?

He stood up quickly, ran his hand through his hair so roughly it almost looked painfully, and turned around and started to walk out of her room.

"Hey!" Sakura called, anger rising in her voice. She jumped out of bed and followed him as they both stomped down the hallway.

Upon reaching the living room, Sakura was close enough to grab hold of his shirt, so she did. She pulled hard and Sasuke turned around, swatting her arm away. Now she was flat out glaring at him.

"What the _hell _is your _problem_?" She snapped, her face flushing.

Sasuke clenched his fists at his side. "_My _problem? What's _your _problem?"

Sakura's expression eased for a moment and she simply stared at him in bewilderment. "W-what?"

Sasuke's glare deepened. "You're going to Tsunade's memorial-"

"It's _Lady _Tsunade!!" Sakura bellowed, causing Sauske to flinch involuntarily. Now both were raising their voices. This was going nowhere, fast.

"I dont give a fu-"

"Of _course _you don't! You don't care about _anything_! Do you have _any _idea how hard it is for me to _deal _with all of this?! Do you have any _notion _of what it would do to me to be at that _funeral_?!" She screamed, cutting off Sasuke's loud shout. He simply glared upon her with a blazing intensity as she did the same, each pair of eye's ripping into the other. "You don't know what you're even talking about!!"

Sasuke swallowed hard, realizing their voices could be heard outside the house. But he didn't care. "I don't even know who the hell _you are_!"

This caused Sakura to widen her eyes and swallow her anger. Suddenly, guilt and embarassment slowly started to overcome her.

"You're master just died! If she's even half as important to you as you claim she is, you'd be going to her memorial!" He took a step toward Sakura, which made her step back, her skin crawling with goosebumps in response to Sasuke's anger.

"Who are you to talk?" She mumbled, shaking her head and staring at Sasuke's feet.

A long silence followed those words and both of them cooled down a bit.

"You're right. I'm definitely not the person to be telling you this...but Sakura," He took a step toward Sakura and this time she didn't move, but looked up at him as he leaned his head in to the right side of her head and whispered to her. "it gets to be pretty sad when I _am _the person having to tell you this."

Her eyes shot open instantly and she bit on her tongue. It took everything in her not to slap him. So she composed herself as he leaned back and she noticed his disgusted look in place once again. After a moment, he simply turned around and headed to her door, opening it quickly, and slamming it like a child having a fit. Sakura just stood there, frozen, until after a few seconds she took a deep breath and walked to her window.

* * *

He leaned his back on Sakura's door and felt a surge of pain rip open his skull. He could feel the tingly sensation all over his skin and his eyes were burning terribly, almost to the point where he was tempted to rip them out of his skull. He took a deep breath and looked up. When he noticed something off to his right, he turned his head and noticed Kalei a little ways down the sidewalk. She was in normal shinobi attire...and thankfully, she looked healed and okay. Her body didn't look bruised or anything...but that mysterious, blank expression was on her face. She lifted her arm up a bit and started motioning him to come to her with her index finger. Sasuke blinked a couple time and then jumped off Sakura's steps, following Kalei as she turned around and started walking. He continued to follow her until they were out of sight from Sakura's house.

Little did he know, Sakura was leaning into her window...watching him follow Kalei for whatever reasons he may have had.

* * *

It was about fifteen minutes later when one of them actually spoke to the other. They were now reaching a clearing with some picnic tables randomly placed in the area, which made sense, considering the academy park was only about two blocks away.

"Are you okay?" Kalei asked when they reached a red picnic table. She boosted herself up onto it and sat on the edge. Sasuke took a few steps to her so they were within six feet of eachother. His hand was tightly gripping the side of his head and he kept squinting his eyes.

"I'm fine. What did you want me for?" He groaned, closing his eyes against the unbearable pain torturing him.

He heard footprints in the soft dirt beneath him and suddenly felt something tugging on his shirt. He opened one eye to see Kalei standing in front of him, gently pulling him forward. He obeyed and she pulled him to the picnic table, where she boosted herself up on top of the table again and gently rested her right hand on the hand Sasuke had holding his head.

He looked at her as her expression became focused and when she brought his hand down to his hip, he let her. Then, she brought her hand up to his forehead and rested two fingers in the middle of it.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt a cooling sensation wrap around his skull and the pain slowly started to ease. Not go away, but ease. He noticed the faint chalkra emitting from Kalei's fingers and he became rather curious.

"I didn't know you knew medical ninjutsu." He said as he pierced her eyes with his own. She turned her gaze to his eyes and when they met she felt something inside her start burning.

"Just learned. It's nothing like Sakura's." The corner of her lips raised and Sasuke was a bit shocked that she still knew how to partly smile. "How is she, by the way?"

After a moment of bringing himself back to earth, he responded. "Heh. How do you think she is?" His mocking tone made Kalei's light smirk disappear. She furrowed her brows at Sasuke's comment.

"How do you think she _should _be? Give her a break-"

"Okay, stop it."

Sasuke brought his hand up and pushed Kalei's fingers off his forehead. He noticed the minute they were gone that the pain was starting to resurface. But he was good for now.

His eyes narrowed and apparently he made Kalei very uncomfortable, for she brought both her hands to her lap and squeezed them so tight her hands turned white.

"Stop what?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Stop pretending you like Sakura and stop pretending to be nice." He took a step back and Kalei's eyes narrowed, too.

"I'm not pretending to like her. I'm just trying not to be a bitch to her. And pretending to be nice? Where does nice get a person anyway?" Kalei responded, her tone normal and dull, as usual.

Sasuke perked an eyebrow.

"You agree." She smirked her mischievous smirk at him and Sasuke's expression relaxed. He definitely wanted to know what was going on with her but she was playing her game so well.

"Why'd you bring me here?" He asked, earning an even brighter and more mysterious smirk from her.

"I was helping a friend." She replied, causing Sasuke to turn his head slightly in confusion. But it was then that he figured it out.

"What induced you to follow?"

Sasuke turned around at the sound of Taru's insinuating voice and immediately bent his knees as if ready to spring into action. His bangs fell into his face and he felt chills when he heard Kalei's high pitched, crooked laugh from behind him.

"I just wanted to make sure that all the cards were on the table. Taru clearly has the short end of the stick here. I just thought maybe you'd want to play..._nice_." Kalei said in her chilling voice as she stood up on top of the picnik table.

Sasuke noticed that Taru was in no stance to fight and he looked harmless, besides his serious expression, so he relaxed himself and stood up straight, eyeing Taru dangerously.

"And what do you want?" Sasuke snapped.

Taru narrowed his eyes a bit further but remained calm as he felt Sasuke's chalkra raging. "To thank you for tying me up at the Ikiru festival. You probably saved me from utter humiliation, what with me not being ready to confess to Sakura and all." Now his eyes relaxed and he smiled at Sasuke. But it was the same awkward smile Kalei sometimes had.

"That was the plan. Didn't want you humiliating yourself." Sasuke responded, his mocking tone coming to play, too.

A moment of tension passed as Taru took a step to the side, causing Sauske's muscles to tighten.

"I'm telling you now that I intend to let Sakura know of my feelings, whether you try to stop me or not."

"I plan to." Sasuke said immediately, causing Taru to laugh quietly. He stared Sasuke down.

"Look, she's been through a lot. I don't want to see her hurt or put into any situation that may cause her to hurt. By letting you take her I risk letting what's left of her heart break and I won't let that happen without a fight." Sasuke's eyes widened. Taru's intentions were good, but something about the way he was speaking to Sasuke made him uneasy. But hey, maybe that was just because Taru hated him. "If she should go to you of her own free will knowing what she knows, I can't stop her. But I swear, if I can help it, I'll make sure she's happy for as long as I can and I'll never let her down."

Sasuke stared at Taru, the burning feeling in his skull slowly dying away. Taru was sincere in every way, or at least that's how it looked. And even though he sounded like a good guy for her, Sasuke couldn't accept the thought of losing her to another guy. And his stubbornness took over when he started remembering how infatuated Sakura was with him.

"Good luck." Sasuke laughed. He smirked that smirk that made every girls heart weak and Taru flinched. "You can try to tell her. I'll even give you a head start."

Taru's eyes widened and suddenly Kalei's voice was heard.

"Oooo! Is this a challenge?" She started laughing and jumped down to Sasuke's side. He didn't budge or pay any attention to her. "Go. Prove him wrong."

Another moment of silence.

Sasuke smirk grew. "Go. Prove me wrong. I dare you."

This angered Taru, so he nodded and with a few hand signs, disappeared. Apparently he was on his way to find Sakura.

_Good luck, Taru. She's in no mood to listen to anything. _

After a moment of being smug, Sasuke turned to face Kalei, who did the same as he did.

"You hate her...and you hate me. That's why you want Taru to do this."

"No. Not actually. Sakura's fine and you're okay...but together..." She made a funny face and wiped it away, reaching into her pocket for something. "Together...it's a bit maddening. And as a matter of fact, I want Taru to do this because it's better this way. Then you'll both be happier." She pulled her hand out and started to reach for his hand at his side.

"Oh really?" Sasuke asked, a bit irritated by her...whatever-ness. "Kalei...what happened to you?"

Her eyes met Sasuke's for a brief second and then turned back to what she was doing in front of her. "Same as what happened to you." She grabbed Sasuke's left arm right on the wrist and faced the side up where she could easily see the veins. "I lost myself." She placed her other hand, the one that was in her pocket, on top of his wrist in a position so it looked like she was holding something.

"That isn't what happened to me." He defended himself. Every once in a while Sauske looked down but mostly paid attention to the stoic expression on her face. It was like she felt no remorse...no pain...

Suddenly, he felt a prick dig deep into his wrist and noticed that Kalei had just plunged a thick needle halfway into his wrist. Sasuke jerked his hand back and held his wrist with his other hand while he glared at her. He could feel blood start surfacing.

"I know it's not. But that's what you tell everyone, right? That way you're not responsible for your actions. Here." She held her hands back out invitingly and Sasuke hesitantly obeyed, putting his wrist back out. He assumed she was going to heal him but surprisingly she placed both her thumbs on either side of the puncture wound and pushed in hard so the blood started gushing out. She had hit a vein.

Sasuke just watched curiously as she pulled out a vial and tilted his wrist to fill it with his blood. He was about to ask what she was doing when she winked at him and closed the vial.

"It's our little secret." She whispered seductively, putting the vial back into her pocket.

He found himself numb and uncomfortable as she placed her index finger on top of the puncture wound and within three seconds, removed her finger...the wound healed. Then she turned around and jumped out of sight, leaving Sasuke almost paralyzed by curiosity.

* * *

Kurenai sighed, placing a cup of tea on the table next to the chair Kakashi was sitting in.

"Child of prophecy, eh?" She said, sitting down in a chair across from him.

He nodded, grabbing the tea and taking a sip. "I think that's what she meant. And the other two..."

Kurenai shrugged. "Whatever the case...we need a new hokage soon. Is he ready?"

Kakashi put the tea back down. "Mmmm."

A minute of silence passed and the clock in Kurenai's living room could be heard ticking away.

"None of them were at the memorial today." She said sadly. Kakashi looked down into his lap.

Another few minutes of silence passed.

"None of them fully understand what this means yet." Kakashi answered. He looked up from his lap and their eyes met.

"I can't help but wonder why the shinobi that killed Lady Tsunade would leave Kalei alive." Kurenai mumbled loud enough for Kakashi to hear. She stared into her cup of tea and watched the slight movements of her handle cause the tea to ripple.

More silence passed and then Kakashi finally answered.

"Maybe it wasn't those shinobi that killed Lady Tsunade,"

Kurenai's eyes widened in horror as he continued.

"Maybe it wasn't those shinobi that kept her alive."

* * *

She was startled when he jumped from a light pole down about 10 feet in front of her. It was sunset and the street light helped illuminate the shadow from the still partly cloudy sky.

"Taru, hey." Sakura said, standing up instantly from the bench she was sulking on, holding her hands up to her chest. She felt miserable for how she treated him before, even though she still felt a bit angry...or maybe jealous? Jealous that she was sharing all her friends with Kalei...

But was Kalei really the enemy? If she was...why was she so nice to Sakura the other night?

"Hey." Taru answered, giving her a sincere and warm smile that made her sigh with relief. At least he didn't appear mad.

"Listen, about the things I said to you-" Sakura started to walk toward him and he waited anxiously, cutting her off when she spoke.

"It was wrong for me to keep that from you and I'm sorry." He said, holding his hands out in front of him, palms facing Sakura. She laughed quietly and sped up her walk so she was standing right in front of him. When she was in touching distance, Taru brought his hands back down to his sides, feeling nervous.

"It's fine, whatever you and Kalei are or used to be...it isn't my business. It's just..." Sakura glanced at the chain around Taru's neck, trying to find the words to say. He watched her deep, green eyes. "She drives me nuts sometimes, you know? There's something about her." She looked back up at Taru and his face was serious. He nodded.

"There is."

Sakura flinched, realizing this wasn't the direction she wanted the conversation to go.

"But there's something about you, too."

Her eyes widened and he flashed her his brilliant toothy grin. Strands of his brown hair fluttered by his eyes and Sakura started to think he was cute. Not that she hadn't thought it before but...for some reason, right now, he was being the perfect distraction from her problems.

He placed both his hands gently on her shoulders and she suddenly became extremely nervous. Their proximity was way too close for their friendship. And even though Sakura wanted to pull away, she didn't.

_"I don't even know who the hell you are!"_

Sasuke's words from earlier came back to her and suddenly she was mad. Not at Taru, but at Sasuke. He didn't understand a thing.

"Did you go to Lady Tsunade's memorial today, Taru?" Sakura asked in a monotone voice, her eyes glazing over as she remembered her fight with Sasuke earlier.

After a pause, Taru frowned, guilt suddenly flooding over him. "No. No I did not."

Sakura sighed heavily and smirked at him sympathetically. "Me either. Why didn't you?"

He blinked a couple of times. "Uhhh...stuff."

Sakura tilted her head slightly. "Stuff?"

"Stuff."

She giggled slightly and Taru smiled, pleased that she was at least laughing a bit. He was doing good.

"Sakura."

She stopped her giggling and looked him right in the eye, and upon realizing his serious expression, her smile vanished and her face turned serious...along with her heart starting to race.

"I'm about to fall in love with you." His true and honest words.

...

"Ever since I've met you, I feel like I've lived to meet you." He whispered to her.

Her jaw fell open, eyes grew wide, and she realized she needed to take a step back. But she wasn't moving. Actually...suddenly, she was feeling tired...weak...almost disconnected from what was happening...but her mind was totally working and she knew every word he said.

_Move, Sakura! Move! Damn it, move now!!_

"Sasuke..." Her whispers were too quiet for even Taru to actually make them out, and before she could finished, his grip on her shoulders tightened, he pulled her in, and because for some reason her body wasn't responding, she fell into him and their lips met, inducing Sakura's eyes to open wide and her heart to fall into her stomach.

What lasted about three seconds felt like three hours, and it was when Sakura's world fell apart that she finally was able to push Taru away.

"Well."

At the sound of Sasuke's voice, Sakura's hands became freed from whatever trance she was in and they flew up to Taru's chest, pushing him back with such force that they both stumbled back a few steps. She took a deep breathe of air as if she had been choking and looked up at the same light pole that Taru had been standing on to see Sasuke, staring down at them with a face full of disbelief and fury.

"Sasuke!" Was all her lips could form. Taru stood up straight and squared his body off to Sasuke, who in turn activated his sharingan with the intent of killing Taru right there.

"Stop it, stop it now!" Sakura jumped in front of Taru, causing him to take a step back and watch her curiously. Her arms were raised to her sides and she stared at Sasuke as though he was the enemy. "This isn't what it looks like!"

His sharingan disappeared. "Never is, is it?"

Sasuke heard Taru scoff and it took everything in him not to lunge at Taru and rip him to pieces right there.

"Sasuke-"

"Save it."

Sakura's body relaxed but her chest started to feel tight. Along with this, Sasuke's head was screaming in pain and he needed to get out of there fast.

"You really gave up on me?" He asked in a tone that suggested he didn't actually care. This angered Sakura.

She furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't want to defend what had just happened with Taru, but she was going to be honest.

"I simply let go."

_The Eternity garden..._Her thoughts drifted back to when he kissed her. How perfect it was, if only perfect things with Sasuke ever lasted.

"What's the difference?" Sasuke snapped, voice rising.

She had no reason to trust him anymore. So Sakura snapped back. "Letting go doesn't mean giving up! It simply means that some things can't be changed!"

Sasuke bit his tongue. In that moment, he convinced himself to do what he should have done a long time ago.

"Well, you don't have to let go-"

"Sasuke-"

"Because you never had anything to let go of."

And before she could say anything else, he disappeared from sight.

"Sasuke!" She shouted, angry and disappointed in herself all the same. After a moment of heavy breathing, she turned back to look at Taru who looked humiliated, guilty, and mortified.

A long period of silence followed while they simply stared at each other.

"Sakura I-"

"Taru."

He shut his mouth.

_Maybe this is better... _She thought.

"I have to go. Good night, Taru."

He frowned at her as she turned and started walking away...and he never said another word.

His work here was done.

And he couldn't have felt worse about it.

* * *

She layed on her bed, moaning in agony and crying until her eyes felt heavy and sore. Both her arms were laying on the bed, outstretched on either side of her. Her long sleeve shirt was pulled up to her elbows on both arms and they felt heavy as well, almost to the point where she couldn't move them. Her hair was sprawled everywhere and her skin was burning with an intensity so strong that it felt like fire was swallowing her up. Her mouth was dry and her chest felt as though somebody were squeezing it. Beads of sweat started to form on her forehead and she continued to whimper. When she heard footsteps down the hall she quickly swallowed her tears and built up everything inside her to move her arms, sit up, and pull the blankets up to her chin.

The door opened.

"Lele, are you all right?" Kiako whispered, her voice shaky and frightened. Apparently she could hear Kalei's cries from wherever she was in the house and the thought of Kalei hurting was hurting Kiako, too.

The tears were plainly noticeable on her face, for they were tinted a bright red...almost like they were half blood.

"I'm fine." She choked out, her chest heaving. "Go away, Kiako. Go rest."

Kiako's eyes started tearing up and she nodded. When she was about to turn around and shut the door, Kalei made another loud whimper and closed her eyes tightly as she called Kiako back.

"W-wait...wait..."

Kiako looked back at Kalei.

"I'm sorry." Kalei panted, giving Kiako the best smile she could fake in her painful condition. "I hope you'll be able to forgive me. Someday."

And with that, Kiako smiled, said of course, though she had no idea what Kalei was talking about, and shut the door, leaving Kalei to her suffering...

* * *

_Next Chapter_

_Taking All Shattered Ones_


End file.
